Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, two top contenders whom presumptive Democratic nominee Kamala Harris is considering for her vice president, are both headlining Harris Victory Fund events Monday.
Both fundraisers will take place the night before Harris said she would hold her first rally with her running mate, signaling the veepstakes could be narrowing. Walz’s event will be in his home state, while Beshear’s fundraiser is set for Chicago, Illinois, the home state of Gov. J.B. Pritzker, who is also on Harris’s vice president shortlist. The other contenders are Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, Arizona Sen. Mark Kelly, and Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg.
In addition to the Harris Victory Fund, Beshear’s fundraiser is supported by millionaire Democratic donors and prominent women in the party, such as Fay Hartog-Levin, Gila Bronner, and Christie Hefner.
Both Walz and Beshear are especially popular in their home states. With 12 years in Washington, Walz comes with many connections and would reinforce Harris’s progressive agenda, Politico reported. Beshear is a popular Democratic governor from a historically red state, meaning he could potentially balance the more progressive elements of Harris’s brand and win over Southern independents.
The Harris campaign said it would announce its vice presidential pick by Tuesday, Aug. 6, and the new ticket is scheduled to visit key swing states, starting with Philadelphia and then tracking to Wisconsin, Detroit, Raleigh, Savannah, Phoenix, and Las Vegas. The Democratic National Committee will select its party’s president and vice president nominees virtually on Wednesday, Aug. 7, and will hold its convention in Chicago from Aug. 19-22.