Kamala Harris interviews the top contenders for vice president

Vice President Kamala Harris is interviewing potential running mates on Sunday, ahead of a trip to the battlefield next week.

Among those traveling to Washington, DC, to meet with Ms. Harris are Governor Josh Shapiro, Senator Mark Kelly and Governor Tim Walz.

The choices for the Democratic Alliance vice president have been narrowed down to a group of five, according to CBS, the BBC’s US partner.

A decision is needed before the Democratic National Convention, which begins on August 19 in Chicago.

It was unclear whether other potential candidates, including Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear or Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, were scheduled to meet with Ms. Harris.

Harris he became the official nominee for president of the Democratic Alliance on Friday in a vote of party delegates.

Once Ms Harris’s running mate is announced, the pair are expected to tour the constituency.

Mr Shapiro has seen high approval ratings since being elected in 2022 and could help Ms Harris capture Pennsylvania – a must-win state in the race for the White House.

Arizona Senator Mark Kelly, a former Navy pilot and NASA astronaut, has become a leading voice on gun safety and his tough stance on the border and occasional criticism of the Biden administration could help woo independent and conservative voters.

Mr Walz, who served 12 years in Congress before becoming governor of Minnesota in 2019, has gained national attention for his strategy calling Donald Trump and JD Vance “weird”.

On Friday, President Joe Biden said he spoke with Ms. Harris about her search for a running mate. Asked what qualities he should look for in a candidate for the position of vice president, he said: “I will let him sort that out.”

Potential partners to join Ms. Harris on the Democratic ticket in the November election face a thorough vetting process, which must answer 200 questions before it is seriously considered.

Delegates do not vote on the choice of vice president.

The United Automobile Workers, America’s largest union representing more than 400,000 people, said its preferred vice-president was Mr Beshear, who “stood with us on the picket line and was working for the workers”.

Speaking to CBS’s Face the Nation, UAW President Shawn Fain added that Mr Walz was also “100% behind the workers”, but criticized Mr Walz’s support. private school vouchers in pennsylvania – a Republican-backed proposal to send $100m to families for private school tuition and school supplies.

While holding those meetings, a new CBS News poll suggests Ms. Harris is narrowly trailing her Republican rival Donald Trump, leading by one point nationally.

In all battleground states, the poll shows the pair are neck and neck. Trump still enjoys a narrow lead in a few states – Wisconsin, Georgia and North Carolina – but the race has tightened significantly since Mr Biden bowed out and Ms Harris became the Democratic nominee.

The poll suggests that the vice president has given a boost to the Democratic Party, where young, black and female voters are seeing renewed enthusiasm for the presidential election.

Meanwhile, supporters of Donald Trump were forced to defend the former president behind him asked what race Ms. Harris is during a heated discussion at a meeting of black journalists based in the US.

Trump said of Ms Harris: “I didn’t know she was black until many years ago when she turned black and now she wants to be known as black. So I don’t know – Is she Indian? Or is she black?”

Ms. Harris’ mother was born in India and her father is from Jamaica. He is often identified as African American and black.

Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, a Trump ally, said he would advise the former president to focus on the policy decision of the Biden-Harris administration – not the vice presidential legacy.

“Every day we talk about his values ​​and not his bad liberal record, which is dangerous for his entire political life. [is] a good day for him and a bad day for us,” Mr Graham told Fox News on Sunday.

Earlier, Senator Laphonza Butler, a Democrat who represents Ms. Harris’ home state of California, called the comments about the vice president’s values ​​”disrespectful” and “insulting” during an appearance on CNN.

“This is a woman who was born in Oakland, California, who has announced and lived proudly with all her details, including who she is,” he said.

“This is the only card he (Trump) has to play, so he plays it. He is desperate.”