VP Kamala Harris headed back to Georgia as part of battleground states tour
Vice President Kamala Harris addresses a crowd of 10,000 at the Georgia State Convocation Center in Atlanta on July 30, 2024. (FOX 5)
Vice President Kamala Harris is set to launch a battleground tour next week with her yet-to-be-named running mate, with stops in seven swing states stretching from Pennsylvania to Nevada, her campaign said Tuesday.
That includes a stop in Savannah on Aug. 9.
The planned tour is the latest sign of the whirlwind pace at which Harris has gone from President Joe Biden’s supportive running mate to likely Democratic nominee ready to identify her No. 2 and take on Republican Donald Trump and Ohio Sen. JD Vance.
Harris said Tuesday she hadn’t made a decision yet on whom she will select.
Those who are under consideration have been demonstrating a time-honored tradition: summertime auditions in which vice presidential contenders walk the line between open self-promotion and loyal advocacy for the potential boss.
To that end, Democrat Josh Shapiro told enthusiastic voters in suburban Philadelphia this week that Harris belongs in the White House — and then reminded them of all he’s done as governor of battleground Pennsylvania. Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, likewise, told voters in Georgia that Harris has the makings of "a great president" — and then highlighted the elections he’s won as a Democrat in Republican territory.
Harris’ campaign has been vetting about a dozen potential running mates, according to people familiar with the search process. Shapiro and Arizona Sen. Mark Kelly are seen as among the front-runners, according to the people.
The campaign said Harris and her running mate will make stops next week in Philadelphia; western Wisconsin; Detroit; Raleigh, North Carolina; Savannah, Georgia; Phoenix and Las Vegas.
Harris was in Atlanta on July 30 for her first rally as the presumptive Democratic nominee. Thousands of people attended the rally at Georgia State University's Convocation Center.
In the meantime, Harris advisers, led by former Attorney General Eric Holder, have been combing through reams of paperwork submitted by potential running mates, while the candidate herself is holding personal conversations with the finalists, according to a person familiar with the matter who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss details that haven’t been made public.
FOX 5 Atlanta contributed to this report.