Harris to Host Initial Rally with Running Mate Tuesday in Philadelphia
The vice president is anticipated to reveal her selection prior to the appearance.
TroibNews 
Vice President Kamala Harris is set to reveal her running mate by Tuesday, at which point she plans to hold her inaugural rally with the chosen candidate in Philadelphia. This event will kick off a whirlwind tour of seven swing state cities over four days. In addition to Philadelphia, the itinerary includes stops in western Wisconsin, Detroit, Raleigh, Savannah, Phoenix, and Las Vegas.
This tour represents the first significant campaign effort by the presumptive ticket since Harris emerged as the likely Democratic presidential nominee following President Joe Biden’s unexpected withdrawal from the race. The tour suggests the campaign’s belief that the electoral map has broadened since Biden handed the reins to Harris.
The campaign first shared details of Harris and her running mate’s schedule with POLITICO.
Kicking off the tour in Pennsylvania’s largest city is likely to fuel speculation about her choice of vice presidential candidate. One of the prominent contenders being considered is Josh Shapiro, the governor of this key swing state.
Should Harris pick Shapiro, Philadelphia would be a logical location to announce the news, given his roots in the nearby suburbs. Additionally, it’s a diverse, voter-rich city crucial to any presidential campaign due to Pennsylvania’s 19 electoral votes; it's also possible Harris’ choice of location signifies nothing beyond strategic importance.
A campaign aide for Harris advised against over-interpreting the selection of the first city for the tour.
Harris confirmed that her decision for the No. 2 spot on the ticket is not yet finalized. When reporters inquired on Tuesday if she had selected her running mate, she responded, “not yet.”
Harris plans to interview potential vice presidential candidates in the coming days, according to individuals familiar with the vetting process who spoke on the condition of anonymity. Other prominent names in consideration include Arizona Sen. Mark Kelly, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, and Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg.
Shapiro mentioned on Tuesday that he hadn't spoken to Harris since July 21, the day Biden exited the race.
Recently, Shapiro has been actively campaigning for Harris throughout Pennsylvania, leading some Democrats to believe he is auditioning for the vice-presidential nomination. He recently headlined a Harris rally alongside Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer in the Philly suburbs, promoted the IRS’ free tax filing program with Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, and spoke at a Harris endorsement event for building trades unions.
Following a visit to a youth basketball program in Philadelphia on Tuesday, Shapiro praised Harris as “a tough-as-nails prosecutor” and criticized Trump’s running mate, Sen. JD Vance of Ohio, as “not exactly off to a good start.”
Shapiro avoided questions about his interest in being Harris' running mate or whether he had submitted vetting documents, stating, “The vice president has a very deeply personal decision to make right now: who she wants to run with, who she wants to govern with, and who can be by her side when she has to make the toughest decisions for the American people. I trust she will make that decision on her own terms when she is ready.”
Other potential vice presidential candidates have also shown strong support for Harris both on television and in fundraising efforts. Walz recently went viral for calling Trump’s GOP “weird people,” while Beshear commented on MSNBC that "JD Vance ain’t from here."
Though Harris' campaign appearances next week will mark her first extensive tour through battleground states, she previously attended a rally in Wisconsin last week and was in Georgia for another rally on Tuesday.
Lucas Dupont contributed to this report for TROIB News
This tour represents the first significant campaign effort by the presumptive ticket since Harris emerged as the likely Democratic presidential nominee following President Joe Biden’s unexpected withdrawal from the race. The tour suggests the campaign’s belief that the electoral map has broadened since Biden handed the reins to Harris.
The campaign first shared details of Harris and her running mate’s schedule with POLITICO.
Kicking off the tour in Pennsylvania’s largest city is likely to fuel speculation about her choice of vice presidential candidate. One of the prominent contenders being considered is Josh Shapiro, the governor of this key swing state.
Should Harris pick Shapiro, Philadelphia would be a logical location to announce the news, given his roots in the nearby suburbs. Additionally, it’s a diverse, voter-rich city crucial to any presidential campaign due to Pennsylvania’s 19 electoral votes; it's also possible Harris’ choice of location signifies nothing beyond strategic importance.
A campaign aide for Harris advised against over-interpreting the selection of the first city for the tour.
Harris confirmed that her decision for the No. 2 spot on the ticket is not yet finalized. When reporters inquired on Tuesday if she had selected her running mate, she responded, “not yet.”
Harris plans to interview potential vice presidential candidates in the coming days, according to individuals familiar with the vetting process who spoke on the condition of anonymity. Other prominent names in consideration include Arizona Sen. Mark Kelly, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, and Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg.
Shapiro mentioned on Tuesday that he hadn't spoken to Harris since July 21, the day Biden exited the race.
Recently, Shapiro has been actively campaigning for Harris throughout Pennsylvania, leading some Democrats to believe he is auditioning for the vice-presidential nomination. He recently headlined a Harris rally alongside Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer in the Philly suburbs, promoted the IRS’ free tax filing program with Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, and spoke at a Harris endorsement event for building trades unions.
Following a visit to a youth basketball program in Philadelphia on Tuesday, Shapiro praised Harris as “a tough-as-nails prosecutor” and criticized Trump’s running mate, Sen. JD Vance of Ohio, as “not exactly off to a good start.”
Shapiro avoided questions about his interest in being Harris' running mate or whether he had submitted vetting documents, stating, “The vice president has a very deeply personal decision to make right now: who she wants to run with, who she wants to govern with, and who can be by her side when she has to make the toughest decisions for the American people. I trust she will make that decision on her own terms when she is ready.”
Other potential vice presidential candidates have also shown strong support for Harris both on television and in fundraising efforts. Walz recently went viral for calling Trump’s GOP “weird people,” while Beshear commented on MSNBC that "JD Vance ain’t from here."
Though Harris' campaign appearances next week will mark her first extensive tour through battleground states, she previously attended a rally in Wisconsin last week and was in Georgia for another rally on Tuesday.
Lucas Dupont contributed to this report for TROIB News
