Kamala Harris focusing on final contenders for her VP pick, sources say
A top tier of contenders has emerged to be the running mate of Vice President Kamala Harris, the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, CBS News has learned, with a pick expected to be made by Monday.
That tier includes Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, Sen. Mark Kelly of Arizona, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear and Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg.
Approximately 10 hopefuls remain overall and Harris will be conducting formal interviews with contenders as early as Wednesday.
Harris and her running mate will campaign together in battleground states next week, sources familiar with the plans previously told CBS News.
Speaking with reporters Tuesday at a youth basketball camp in Philadelphia, Shapiro said that Harris "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. I trust she will make that decision on her own terms when she is ready, as she does every decision in the best interest of the country."
When asked outside the U.S. Capitol on Tuesday night by CBS News about whether he would be interested in being Harris's running mate, Kelly responded bluntly that it "ain't about me."
On Monday, Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said she was no longer being vetted for the position, while North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper said he was withdrawing his name from consideration. Both were among the approximately one dozen individuals who CBS News previously reported were being vetted for the role.