Kamala Harris: Two candidates left for the post of Vice President

DER SPIEGEL Kamala Harris: Two candidates left for the post of Vice President 4 hours • 3 minutes reading time Who will join Kamala Harris in the fight for the White House? According to insiders, there are still two candidates left - ex-astronaut Mark Kelly is apparently out. Meanwhile, polls see the Democrat on the rise. Kamala Harris: Two candidates left for the post of Vice President Kamala Harris' decision on her candidate for the vice presidency is eagerly awaited. It should and must happen on Tuesday (local time) - a joint appearance has already been scheduled for that evening. This is to be the start of a five-day tour of seven cities in contested US states in which the election in November is expected to be decided. It is now becoming clear that the three-way fight for the vice presidency has turned into a duel. According to insiders, Harris has narrowed her search down to two men. It will come down to the governor of Pennsylvania, Josh Shapiro, or the governor of Minnesota, Tim Walz, as three people familiar with the matter told the Reuters news agency on Monday (local time). The selection is seen by observers as one of Harris' most important decisions in the run-up to the presidential election on November 5th: The vice-candidate should, in the best case, be attractive to the electorate that does not feel so strongly addressed by Harris herself - a black and Asian woman. According to insiders, Harris' shortlist therefore consisted exclusively of white men who are able to win over rural, white or independent voters. According to the information, Mark Kelly is no longer in the inner circle of candidates. The 60-year-old is a former astronaut and has already won the Senate seat in the swing state of Arizona twice. On Sunday he posted the message on X: "My mission now is to serve the people of Arizona." The entry was later deleted. Reuters is now citing unnamed insiders who say Kelly is out of the race. The 51-year-old Shapiro is an up-and-coming Democratic politician with high approval ratings in Pennsylvania. The state, with its 20 electoral votes, is seen as crucial for both Harris and her Republican rival Donald Trump to win the election in November. Shapiro is a former attorney general. He would be the country's first Jewish vice president. Shapiro is considered a strong supporter of Israel, which could deter some voters but appeal to others. Shapiro is considered to be a moderate, very popular and has long been considered for higher office. Left-wing forces in the party consider him too conservative on important issues. Walz is an ex-soldier and former teacher. As a former congressman from a predominantly Republican district, the 60-year-old has proven that he appeals to rural, white voters, although as governor he also campaigned for free school meals and extended paid leave for employees. Minnesota is likely to go to the Democrats in the election. The state borders Wisconsin and Michigan, which are also decisive. Polls show support for Harris Since 81-year-old President Joe Biden announced on July 21 that he would not run again after weeks of discussion about his mental fitness and advocated for Harris as his successor, the vice president has enjoyed a lot of support. Trump, on the other hand, forced onto the defensive, recently resorted to racist and otherwise offensive statements about Harris. In the polls, Harris has steadily caught up with her Republican opponent - and in two recent polls she was even able to overtake him nationwide. According to a survey published on Monday (local time) by the University of Massachusetts Amherst, Harris is three percentage points ahead of Trump nationwide - while in its previous survey in January the university had put Biden four points behind Trump. In a CBS News/YouGov survey published on Sunday, Harris is one percentage point ahead of Trump, while Biden was five points behind his rival at the time of his exit. In the "swing states", Harris and Trump are currently neck and neck. If she wins on November 5, Harris would become the first woman, the first African-American and the first person of Asian descent to hold the US presidency.