WASHINGTON (NEXSTAR) — Now that Vice President Kamala Harris is the likely Democratic nominee, her first big task is choosing her running mate.
Several governors and a U.S. Senator are on the list.
“She’s bringing a positive vision,” Gov. Tim Walz (D-Minn.) said.
Minnesota Governor Tim Walz is one of the people on the VP shortlist.
“We care about what happens to your kids. We care about the environment. We care about job creation,” Walz added.
Walz and Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg are two contenders who spent Sunday morning making the case for a Harris presidency.
“Most Americans already agree with her on the issues that they care about the most,” Buttigieg said.
The timeline for Harris to choose a running mate is shorter than most presidential candidates, her campaign is only a week old, but the Democratic party currently has an August 7th nominating deadline.
“We’re in kind of uncharted territories, at least in the modern era,” George Washington University Political Science Professor Casey Burgat said.
Burgat says a VP pick doesn’t move the needle that much but has some advantages.
“You bring someone in who is able to talk to a different type of demographic, but mostly is able to put a state in play that otherwise wasn’t already in your column,” Burgat said.
The Harris campaign says she is looking for someone who can be a good governing partner.
In addition to Walz and Buttigieg, the list of potential vice presidents includes Arizona Senator Mark Kelly, Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro, Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear and North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper.