Vice President Kamala Harris has begun her search for a running mate, sending materials to several candidates to join her nomination, but not a popular Democratic governor from a reliably Republican state.
According to a Wall Street Journal report, the Harris campaign sent research materials to North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper, Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro, Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer, Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz and Arizona Senator Mark Kelly (D).
Absent from the list was Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, who many had speculated was the front-runner for the post. Beshear was also one of the few in the group to have expressed interest in the possibility of running for the post, telling CNN on Monday that he would join the list if it was in the best interest of Kentuckians.
Read Fox News’ latest report that Harris will replace Biden as the 2024 Democratic presidential nominee here
Vice President Kamala Harris speaks during the 2024 NCAA Championship Team Celebration on the South Lawn of the White House on July 22, 2024 in Washington, DC. (Andrew Harnick/Getty Images)
“The only reason I would consider another job would be if I felt I could better help the people of Kentucky in a different role, or if I felt there was an opportunity to get away from the partisanship and the constant infighting,” Beshear said.
But in response to questions from CNN, Beshear acknowledged that he had not received any vetting materials, telling the outlet that he “has not been asked to personally submit any information at this time.”
Meanwhile, other vice presidential candidates have sidestepped questions about whether they would be willing to join Harris: Cooper, Shapiro, Pritzker and Kelly have all voiced their support for Harris but have not expressed interest in becoming the next vice president.
“I couldn’t be more confident that Vice President Kamala Harris is the best person to defeat Donald Trump and lead our country into the future,” Kelly said in a post on X. “I support her nomination, and Gabby and I will do everything in our power to elect her President of the United States.”
Harris is committed to winning the Democratic nomination
When asked about his interests, Pritzker told MSNBC, “I’ve enjoyed being governor of Illinois and have campaigned hard to help Democrats win.”
“I appreciate people talking about me, but I think the focus needs to be on her this week,” Cooper said when asked the same question by the outlet.
Kentucky incumbent Democratic Governor Andy Beshear, with his wife Brittany Beshear (right), Kentucky Lt. Governor Jacqueline Coleman (center left) and family members, delivers a victory speech to the crowd during an election night event at Old Foresters Paristown Hall on November 7, 2023 in Louisville, Kentucky. (Stephen Cohen/Getty Images)
In an interview with NBC News, Shapiro argued that the focus should be on defeating former President Trump.
Asked if he and Harris had discussed the possibility of joining the nomination race, Shapiro said, “Our conversation was solely about how to defeat Donald Trump and protect our freedoms in this state.”
The vice president has made a staggering amount since Biden left
Whitmer, meanwhile, has been the most vocal in denying she plans to enter the race, declaring on social media that she’s “not going anywhere.”
“I’m not leaving Michigan,” she said on X. “I’m proud to be the governor of Michigan. I’m being consistent. I know people always have doubts and they ask this question over and over. I know you’re doing your job. I’m not going anywhere.”
Meanwhile, Waltz was one of the few people who was positive about the idea.
Minnesota Governor Tim Walz speaks at a press conference following the shooting deaths of two police officers and one emergency responder in Burnsville, Minnesota, on Sunday, February 18, 2024. (AP Photo/Abby Parr)
“She said she needed my help, and I said I could help her however she saw fit,” Walz said in an interview with Minnesota Now. “If that’s the direction she wants to go in, then I’m OK with that.”
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The Harris campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital.
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