Breaking: Democratic donors are vetting five Democrats for a Harris VP. [View all]
Major Democratic donors are funding a preliminary vetting process for potential vice-presidential nominees should President Biden exit the race, according to four people familiar with the process, suggesting that influential figures in the party are growing increasingly restless and concerned about the time remaining to mount a national campaign.
In recent days, people involved in the effort have contacted the teams of top Democratic figures, including Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro and Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, the people said, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss a sensitive effort. The donors are also interested in vetting North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper, Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and Arizona Sen. Mark Kelly.
The Biden campaign and a spokesperson for Shapiro declined to comment. Spokespeople for Beshear and Whitmer did not respond to requests for comment. A person familiar with Kelly’s political operation was unaware of outreach from outside donors involving any sort of vetting for the Democratic ticket. Kelly has heard from many supporters since the presidential debate urging him to seek higher office, the person said, but “what they are hearing back is, Kelly supports Biden and Harris.”
Vetting potential vice-presidential candidates usually takes months, so the group of donors, who have not been identified, decided to begin that process earlier this month. If Biden drops out, many Democrats think Vice President Harris would become the front-runner to replace him, and should she secure the nomination, she would have to select a running mate under a compressed timeline to ensure the Democratic ticket meets all state ballot deadlines.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2024/07/20/democrat-donors-fund-vp-vetting-push/
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