Picking a running mate: Inside the 16 days between Kamala Harris’ launch and her choice of Tim Walz

Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — Kamala Harris’ whirlwind process to select Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as her running mate can be summed up in a word: weird.

With President Joe Biden and Harris, his vice president, seeking a second term together, Democrats weren’t supposed to have a veep search at all. But as soon Biden bowed out and endorsed Harris on July 21, the vice president and her team had no choice but to move quickly — and they did.

Harris tapped former Attorney General Eric Holder, a veteran of the Obama administration whom the vice president knows well, and Dana Remus, a former Biden White House counsel, to lead the closely held vetting process. A bevy of potential contenders, meanwhile, operated on a parallel and much more public track. It was a process that highlighted Democrats’ ample national bench and the fragile unity that has defined the early days of Harris’ White House bid against Republican nominee and former President Donald Trump.

What follows is an account based on interviews with aides and confidants to Harris and several running mate contenders. Most were granted anonymity to discuss private conversations and deliberations.

Conventional wisdom suggested that Harris needed a white man, given she is the barrier-breaking vice president who would be the first woman, second Black person and first person of South Asian descent to reach the Oval Office. Harris confidants said she would consider pragmatic electoral considerations and her personal comfort level with a potential governing partner.

Speculation settled quickly on a trio of governors: Andy Beshear of Kentucky, Roy Cooper of North Carolina and Josh Shapiro of Pennsylvania. Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker got attention. And Washington contenders included Sen. Mark Kelly of Arizona and Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg.

Shapiro was touted as the popular governor in a critical battleground state with 19 electoral votes. Kelly is a popular senator in a border state who has credibility on immigration to go with his impressive military record and time as an astronaut. Cooper, who quietly bowed out before being formally vetted, was twice elected governor in a state Trump won twice and before that was a state attorney general alongside Harris, who held the same post in California.

The vetting team ultimately examined nine contenders closely, including Walz. But he started largely as an afterthought.

Still, earlier this year and with little fanfare, Harris had traveled to Minnesota and gone to a Planned Parenthood clinic with Walz, a former House member. According to people familiar with her thinking, she recalled a connection and identifying shared values with the governor.

Then, on July 23, two days after Biden ended his campaign, Walz went on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” and with his characteristic informal style leveled a dig at Trump and his running mate, Ohio Sen. JD Vance, that went viral.

“These guys are just weird,” Walz said.

Still, at that point, Shapiro and Kelly had emerged publicly and privately as front-runners.

As Holder and Remus continued their work a week into Harris’ campaign, contenders began making the rounds on cable news and on the campaign trail.

On July 28, Beshear traveled to Georgia, the state that produced the closest result in the 2020 campaign between Trump and Biden. He sharpened his attacks on Vance, and touted his successes in a conservative state. The next day it was Shapiro’s turn to brag on Harris — and himself.

About the same time, Democratic factions starting rumbling with criticisms of various hopefuls.

Shapiro drew rebukes from some of the same progressives who have protested over the Biden administration’s support of Israel in its war against Hamas in Gaza. Shapiro, who is Jewish, has actually been harshly critical of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu but remains supportive of the Israeli government. Some labor leaders expressed skepticism over Shapiro and Kelly. Pennsylvania Sen. John Fetterman, an in-state rival of Shapiro’s, passed a message to the Harris team expressing concerns that Shapiro was a political opportunist and not necessarily cut out to be a second-in-command.

Harris, meanwhile, was in Atlanta on July 30 for a rally in which she wielded Walz’s “weird” dig to the delight of almost 10,000 boisterous supporters. By then, Walz was recognized as the message-maker and touted as a legitimate contender. His status was bolstered, perhaps, by Cooper confirming that he, days earlier, told the vetting team he declined to be considered.

That meant that Harris would have no top contenders left with whom she had worked closely — giving everyone else an opening.

Holder and Remus concluded their initial round of vetting on last Thursday, two days after Harris’ Georgia rally.

On Friday, a panel of Harris advisers and confidants conducted interviews with several contenders before making recommendations to the vice president. A larger team, which included Holder, Remus and campaign chair Jen O’Malley Dillon, made its presentation to Harris on Saturday at the vice president’s residence in Washington.

Separately, campaign aides worked feverishly on rollout plans for all the remaining options — new logos, social media plans and individually tailored speeches.

On Sunday, Harris interviewed Shapiro, Kelly and Walz at the Naval Observatory. According to people familiar with the conversations, her 90 minutes with Walz stood out. Harris had also been impressed with Walz’s record as a House member and governor, and his biography before politics: Army National Guard noncommissioned officer, public school teacher, high school football coach. The two politicians gelled.

For Shapiro’s part, he told Harris’ team after his interview that he felt he had more to do leading the commonwealth but said he was committed to supporting her and the ticket.

The interviews and conversations with her team had Harris leaning firmly in Walz’s direction but she wanted to sleep on it. Ultimately, she felt the same Tuesday morning. And later Tuesday, she was ready to make phone calls, including to Shapiro and Kelly to share her decision.

“I think Walz just emerged as that person who she grew to trust and admire,” said Bakari Sellers, who co-chaired Harris’ 2020 Democratic primary bid. “She actually is a vice president and knows what is required of her job, and she wanted someone to support her.”

It turns out Walz was not quite ready. The first time Harris dialed his number, he ignored what showed up as a restricted number. She dialed again, and he answered.

“Listen, I want you to do this with me,” Harris said. “Let’s do this together. Would you be my running mate and let’s get this thing on the road.”