Harris Searches for a VP
Now that Harris is the Democratic Party’s presumed presidential nominee for the 2024 race to the White House, she has been searching for a Vice President to serve alongside her.
Source: Gage Skidmore/Wikimedia Commons
Various reports have suggested who the front runners in this VP race are. One name that is often tossed around is Governor Shapiro.
Shapiro as Harris’ VP?
Many political analysts have claimed that Shapiro would be a great running mate for Harris, particularly because he is the governor of Pennsylvania, a battleground state.
Source: Governor Tom Wolf/Wikimedia Commons
Shapiro is incredibly well-liked in Pennsylvania, and having him alongside Harris on the ticket could help ensure that the Democrats win the White House come November.
Shapiro vs Fetterman
However, Shapiro isn’t without his own conflicts. New reporting has hinted that Shapiro and Pennsylvania Senator Fetterman have had their issues in the past.
Source: Jewish Democratic Council of America/Wikimedia Commons
These issues allegedly stem from the time they were on Pennsylvania’s Board of Pardons, which dealt with commutations for convicts and second chances.
Shapiro’s Team Defends His Record
Shapiro’s team has recently responded to attacks on his record regarding pardons and commutations.
Source: Governor Tom Wolf/Wikimedia Commons
Shapiro’s spokesperson Will Simons said, “The governor evaluates every pardons case individually and on its merits and during his time as attorney general, he approved more pardons and commutations than all of his predecessors over the last 25 years, combined. He is proud of his record of delivering meaningful criminal justice reform while making Pennsylvania communities safer.”
Fetterman Warns Harris
Now, Fetterman has reportedly gone out of his way to warn Harris about choosing Shapiro as her VP pick — especially as other reporting has suggested that Shapiro is the front-runner in the race.
Source: Gage Skidmore/Wikimedia Commons
According to a new report, Fetterman warned Harris about Shapiro, as Fetterman believes that the governor is too focused on “his own personal ambitions.”
Fetterman Still Supports Harris
However, even though the senator has given Harris this warning, it appears Fetterman still supports the vice president in her presidential race.
Source: Governor Tom Wolf/Wikimedia Commons
Sources have claimed that Fetterman has “full-on, enthusiastic support for Kamala Harris.”
Why Fetterman Warned Harris
Those in the know about this warning explained that Fetterman’s advisers were the ones to contact the Harris campaign about this conflict.
Source: US Department of Education/Wikimedia Commons
Furthermore, Fetterman’s advisers only gave this “unvarnished assessment” of Governor Shapiro to help Harris, stating that it wasn’t about policy differences or “other public baggage.”
The VP Race Heats Up
This latest reporting further confirms that the race to become Harris’ vice presidential pick has heated up from within the Democratic Party.
Source: NASA Headquarters/NASA/Joel Kowsky/Wikimedia Commons
This warning from Fetterman’s aides also comes after many hectic weeks within the party, particularly before and after President Joe Biden decided to step down from the race.
Pennsylvania Democrats Back Shapiro
This latest news about Fetterman’s warning to Harris sheds some light on potential Democrat infighting between Pennsylvania Democrats.
Source: Governor Tom Wolf/Wikimedia Commons
Many other major Pennsylvania Democrats, such as Senator Bob Casey, have openly supported the idea of Shapiro becoming vice president. However, Fetterman hasn’t publicly supported Shapiro at all.
Harris Interviews Continue
Harris is continuing to interview potential vice presidential picks this weekend after narrowing down her choices to only a few remaining candidates.
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Shapiro remains high on this list. However, Arizona Senator Mark Kelly, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, and Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear are all also potential candidates to become Harris’ vice president.
The Reveal of Harris’ VP Pick
The Harris campaign has explained that they will soon reveal who Harris has chosen as her running mate before Tuesday.
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Meanwhile, on Tuesday, Harris will hold a rally in Philadelphia with her running mate to truly kick off the Harris campaign.