Kamala Harris to interview final VP contenders this weekend with decision imminent

WASHINGTON — Vice President Kamala Harris is set to interview her running-mate finalists over the weekend as she nears a decision amid a rapid two-week process to finalize the Democratic ticket to take on Republican nominee Donald Trump.

A source familiar with the process confirmed that Harris will interview finalists among a group of six contenders who have been in the mix: Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, U.S. Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear and Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker. Each have been vetted by the campaign.

Harris, who officially became the Democratic presidential nominee by virtual roll-call on Friday, is scheduled to remain in Washington over the weekend.

It was not clear how many of the final candidates Harris intends to interview. The Washington Post first reported on Harris' weekend interviews.

A decision on Harris' vice presidential nominee will come no later than Tuesday, when Harris goes to Philadelphia to hold a campaign rally with her pick to kick off a multi-state battleground blitz.

Launching the tour in Philadelphia raised immediate speculation about the selection being the 51-year-old Shapiro, a second-year governor from Pennsylvania and former state attorney general. Pennsylvania and its 19 electoral votes are critical to Harris' path to victory.

The Harris campaign cautioned against drawing any connection. But more buzz about Shapiro ignited Friday when Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker, a Democrat and Harris supporter, released a hype video that played up a Harris-Shapiro ticket.

"Kamala Harris for president and Josh Shapiro for vice president," Parker says in the video, which was paid for by the mayor's campaign committee.

A Harris aide would not comment on the video.

Since announcing her bid for president, Harris has been riding a wave of momentum ? energizing Democrats, improving upon Biden's poor polling and bringing a mountain of campaign cash.

The Harris campaign announced Friday it raised $310 million in July, including $200 million in the first week of Harris' candidacy after President Joe Biden ended his reelection bid July 21. The Harris' campaign's July haul was twice the $139 million raised by Trump the same month. The Harris campaign reported having $377 million in the bank still to spend, topping the Trump campaign's $327 million cash on hand.

Reach Joey Garrison on X, formerly Twitter, @joeygarrison.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Harris to interview final VP contenders this weekend as decision nears