Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris has narrowed down her choice of vice presidential candidate for her team. Either Minnesota Governor Tim Walz or Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro will run with her in the November US elections, Suspilne reports.
According to Reuters, citing three sources with knowledge of the matter, Harris will announce her choice by August 6 and will begin a campaign tour of seven key US states, starting in Philadelphia, where a rally will be held at Temple University.
Axios also reported, citing sources in the White House and the Democratic Party, that Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro will be the vice presidential candidate.
While running for governor of Pennsylvania in 2022, Shapiro criticized Republican Donald Trump’s claims that the 2020 presidential election was rigged, when his opponent Joe Biden won.
And when pro-Palestinian protests erupted at US universities in the spring, Shapiro spoke about the rise of anti-Semitism in the country.
According to the publication, Shapiro has a good rating in his state, one of the key states in the presidential race. According to the Engagious/Sago focus group poll, most Democrats in the state support Shapiro. And more than a third of undecided voters said they would like to see Shapiro run for president instead of Joe Biden. If Pennsylvania votes for Democrats – including its leader, Shapiro – it will bring Harris 19 electoral votes.
On the day of Russia’s full-scale invasion, Shapiro expressed support for Ukraine, published instructions on how Pennsylvanians could donate to the victims in Ukraine, but, according to the Kyiv Independent, he has taken minimal action in favor of Ukraine in foreign policy compared to other candidates.
The other candidate is Tim Walz, who won his first political election in 2016 – to the US House of Representatives. He was then re-elected to this seat 5 more times. In 2018, he ran for governor of Minnesota and won, and in 2022 he was re-elected.
In office, Pawlenty has championed free school meals, reproductive freedom, strengthening voting rights, laying the groundwork for 100% clean electricity in Minnesota by 2040, stem cell research, tax cuts for the middle class, and expanding paid family leave for Minnesota workers.
Last year, Valls met with Zelenskyy and expressed support for Ukraine and readiness to help Ukrainian refugees.
The Associated Press wrote that Harris will interview six potential candidates for the position of his deputy on the weekend of August 3-4. The list includes the governors of Kentucky Andy Beshear, Illinois Jay Pritzker, Pennsylvania Josh Shapiro and Minnesota Tim Walz, as well as Senator Mark Kelly of Arizona and Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg.
