‘CHEMISTRY TEST’

Speed-Dating Day in D.C. as Kamala Harris Checks Out Running Mates

Harris reportedly has meetings with Josh Shapiro, Tim Walz, and Mark Kelly at her official residence in Washington.

It’s speed-dating day at the Naval Observatory, as Kamala Harris makes her mind up who should join her on the campaign ticket. The New York Times says Harris is to hold a series of meetings with potential running mates at the vice president’s official residence in Washington, D.C., on Sunday. It said “several people” briefed on the planning confirmed she would meet the three frontrunners: Senator Mark Kelly of Arizona, Gov. Josh Shapiro of Pennsylvania, and Gov. Tim Walz of Minnesota. The newspaper added: “It was unclear whether other potential candidates—including Gov. Andy Beshear of Kentucky and Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg—were also on the schedule, or if they had already met with Ms. Harris.” The Times described the meetings as “a chemistry test” which Harris is “expected to put considerable stock in.” It also points out that she wants a running mate who will help her win in November—and both Kelly and Shapiro have battleground state experience. “Mr. Walz is a fairly new face, even to most Democrats, but he has recently become a favorite among progressives who relish his folksy takedowns of former President Donald J. Trump on cable news. Minnesota, however, is unlikely to be critical to Ms. Harris’s path to the White House,” it adds.