Harris narrows down VP front runners with solo meetings

Vice President Kamala Harris is meeting with three of the contenders to be her running mate on Sunday as anticipation mounts over who will join her on the Democratic ticket in November.

Harris is meeting with Sen. Mark Kelly (D-AZ) along with Govs. Josh Shapiro (D-PA) and Tim Walz (D-MN) in her vice presidential residence at the Naval Observatory in Washington, D.C., according to multiple reports.

While the three leaders appear likely to be Harris’s final three contenders, it is unknown whether other names that have reportedly spoken with Harris, such as Gov. Andy Beshear (D-KY), are still being considered.

The meetings on Sunday are being described as a “chemistry test,” according to the New York Times, as Harris is set to campaign with her running mate this week in various key swing states.

Kelly, Shapiro, and Walz have all received significant encouragement from their supporters, but a post by Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker on Friday raised eyebrows as to who the front-runner may be. The post appeared to be showing Shapiro would be picked as Harris’s running mate, although others had suggested that it could be campaigning for Shapiro to get the spot.

Harris has until the Democratic National Convention in Chicago from Aug. 19-22 to select her running mate, even as she looks likely to secure the party’s official nomination ahead of the convention.

Harris and her yet-to-be-named running mate will target Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Michigan, Georgia, Arizona, Nevada, and North Carolina in the battleground state swing. The swing state blitz will begin at a rally in Philadelphia on Tuesday.