Congressional Democrats tout their favorites on Harris’ short list. Sen. Tim Kaine, who was Clinton’s running mate, says accelerated vetting means fewer options.
MARY LOUISE KELLY, HOST:
Vice President Kamala Harris is looking for a running mate, one with executive experience. She’s still vetting a list of candidates. NPR congressional correspondent Deirdre Walsh reports that some congressional Democrats are pushing for their favorite picks.
DEIRDRE WALSH, BYLINE: Virginia Senator Tim Kaine knows what it’s like to be vetted for vice president.
TIM KAINE: It’s an honor to do it. It’s very intense.
WALSH: He was tapped by Hillary Clinton to be her running mate in 2016. Some candidates going through the vetting process asked Kaine for advice. He says this process has a much more accelerated timeline.
KAINE: So it’s normally a two-month process, and they got to do it in two weeks.
WALSH: He said chemistry is more important than picking someone from a battleground state.
KAINE: You have to have someone that you trust will be brutally candid with you in a closed room, but then be completely publicly supportive and respectful outside the closed room.
WALSH: Arizona Senator Mark Kelly is among those being considered by Harris. He’s been surrounded by reporters in the Capitol and repeats the same line when asked about a possible vice presidential slot.
MARK KELLY: Well, this is not, you know, about me. It’s about an election in about 100 days or so.
WALSH: But hopping on the subway at the Capitol, he also makes his pitch on the contrast.
KELLY: I’m going to work really hard to make sure Kamala Harris is the next president because we cannot go back to those days of Donald Trump – tax giveaways for the wealthiest Americans, taking away rights for people, especially women.
WALSH: Kelly is being talked up in the hallways by fellow Democrats, like Vermont Senator Peter Welch, who also name-checked Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, a former House member.
PETER WELCH: You know, I love Mark Kelly as a colleague. I love Tim Walz because he was my classmate in the House, and I saw how extraordinarily effective he is.
WALSH: Asked about Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro, another possible candidate, Welch pointed to his handling of a major interstate collapse.
WELCH: Hey, anybody who can fix a breach in 10 days, I’m impressed.
WALSH: Pennsylvania Congresswoman Chrissy Houlahan also touted her governor.
CHRISSY HOULAHAN: I do think the vice president has an amazing wealth of choices. And, of course, I would be remiss to mention that Josh Shapiro is a really compelling candidate.
WALSH: Kentucky Democratic Congressman Morgan McGarvey says his governor, Andy Beshear, another person on the Harris list, deserves a look.
MORGAN MCGARVEY: And look at what he has done in leading us out of the pandemic, in creating record jobs, record economic development.
WALSH: Missouri Congressman Emanuel Cleaver told NPR GOP efforts to paint the Democratic ticket as far left won’t work.
EMANUEL CLEAVER: She’s not going to go out and get, you know, a left wing nut bucket. I mean, she – that’s just not going to happen. And no matter how much they say that, it’s not going to happen.
WALSH: Welch says it all comes down to who can help Harris win enough electoral votes in November.
WELCH: Focus on winning – first, last and always.
WALSH: Harris is expected to announce her pick by August 7. Democrats on Capitol Hill are eager to make the contrast with the Trump/Vance GOP ticket. Deirdre Walsh, NPR News, the Capitol.
Copyright © 2024 NPR. All rights reserved. Visit our website terms of use and permissions pages at www.npr.org for further information.
NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by an NPR contractor. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Accuracy and availability may vary. The authoritative record of NPR’s programming is the audio record.
