It promises to be a pivotal day in the campaign landscape as the 2024 presidential race heats up today—in what could change the dynamics of the next election, Vice President Kamala Harris plans to name her running mate.
On the right side of the political aisle, Republican candidate J.D. Vance hosts an energetic rally in Philadelphia today in an effort to really energize the crowd to give his campaign much-needed momentum.
VP Choice for Harris
Later this afternoon, Vice President Kamala Harris is expected to make public her vice presidential pick in what promises to be a highly politicized event. The announcement should give key insight into Harris’s strategic vision for the 2024 elections. This decision is very pivotal and has much potential in changing voter opinion and party harmony, so much so that political analysts track this very closely. Last few days, names floating around the potential running mates included those of Senator Cory Booker to Governor Gretchen Whitmer to Representative Ilhan Omar, among other names.
The Harris campaign said a declaration would focus on an obligation to tackle the biggest national issues: recovery economics, climate change, and social justice. Right now people are watching what kind of VP alignment there is to that agenda and whether she could help swing voters.
What’s happening on the campaign trail today?
The pick will appear at her side tonight at a rally in Philadelphia, starting a tour through battleground states. Vice President Kamala Harris has settled on a running mate and will introduce that person today, said two people familiar with her thinking. The Democratic National Committee said Tuesday that Harris won the support of 99% of voting Democratic delegates in a virtual roll-call vote to be the party’s presidential nominee. Where there’s Harris, there’s also Sen. JD Vance of Ohio. Former President Donald Trump’s running mate is scheduled to hold a rally in Philadelphia hours before Harris takes the stage at her event.
VVance is organizing activists in the same cities that Harris and her running mate will be visiting this week. It’s primary day in Kansas, Michigan, Missouri, and Washington. Among the marquee contests are Democratic challenges to Rep.
Cori Bush of Missouri, who is a member of the “squad,” and Rep. Dan Newhouse of Washington, a Republican who voted to impeach Trump.
Vice President Kamala Harris is to announce her new running mate at a rally Tuesday evening in Philadelphia—but with the event just hours away, her choice remains a secret. For several days, she has focused her attention on a shortlist of three finalists: Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, Arizona Sen. Mark Kelly, and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, but choices further than that remain publicly unspoken.
Harris’s campaign had always planned for a video announcement preceding the rally, but it was not clear whether this would happen before, during, or after the rally, said one person who spoke anonymously in order to detail discussions happening behind closed doors. It will be another historic moment in near two weeks since the vice president has indicated a move to assume the pinnacle of the Democratic ticket with the November election looming. Doing so would chime with how then-presidential candidate Joe Biden revealed Harris as his choice for vice president amid the pandemic-marred race of 2020. Since then, she has been scurrying to build out a campaign and to inject new life into the Democratic race against Republican Donald Trump.
Harris, second gentleman Doug Emhoff, and her No. 2 pick are set to appear together for an evening rally in Philadelphia, recalling a joint 2020 appearance by Biden and Harris in Wilmington, Delaware. In like manner, in 2016, newly picked running mate Sen. Tim Kaine of Virginia campaigned with Hillary Clinton in Miami. Harris and her running mate will spend the next five days flying thousands of miles around the country, touring critical battleground states, on this Tuesday’s day trip to Pennsylvania. They’ll be visiting Eau Claire, Wisconsin, and Detroit on Wednesday. The Tropical Storm Debby impacts caused a planned stop in Savannah, Georgia, to be cancelled. Further rain from the same storm might also thwart another planned stop in Durham, North Carolina.
Impact on Election
Both events today remind us that stakes are sky-high for 2024. Harris’s VP choice could lock it in or throw another curve into the mix; Vance’s rally in Philadelphia is a strategic move toward securing his position in the battleground state.
Catch all the live updates of these momentous events all through the day. The results of Harris’ VP pick and Vance’s rally may give an idea about how the election narrative is turning out and which changes in strategies are important for a good outcome.
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