Vice President Kamala Harris is expected to reveal her vice-presidential running mate this week. This announcement comes as Harris embarks on a crucial tour of battleground states, aiming to turn the excitement surrounding her presidential campaign into solid support for the upcoming election on November 5.
Harris will begin her tour on Tuesday in Pennsylvania, a key swing state, to build momentum for her face-off against Republican Donald Trump. “At this moment, we face a choice between two visions for our nation: one focused on the future and the other on the past… This campaign is about people coming together, fueled by love of country, to fight for the best of who we are,” she posted on X.
Having secured enough delegate votes to clinch the Democratic nomination, Harris heads into the national convention in Chicago in two weeks with a strong grip on her party. The former prosecutor has set new fundraising records, drawing large crowds and dominating social media, effectively eliminating Trump’s previous polling lead since President Joe Biden withdrew from the race.
Harris’s vice-presidential pick is highly anticipated, with an announcement expected before her rally on Tuesday evening in Philadelphia. Pennsylvania, governed by 51-year-old Democrat Josh Shapiro, is seen as prime battleground territory. Shapiro is a leading contender for the vice-presidential spot, along with other prominent figures like Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear, Arizona Senator Mark Kelly, and US Transport Secretary Pete Buttigieg.
Following Pennsylvania, Harris will visit Michigan and Wisconsin, other critical states in the “blue wall” that helped Biden secure the presidency in 2020. Later in the week, she will tour the Sun Belt and southern states, including Arizona, Nevada, Georgia, and North Carolina, to bolster support among Black and Hispanic voters.
Just a month ago, Trump had a significant lead in swing state polls, following Biden’s weak debate performance. However, Biden’s exit from the race and endorsement of Harris on July 21 changed the dynamics. Harris, who is energetic and two decades younger than Trump, quickly gained traction, raising $310 million in July, more than double Trump’s fundraising efforts.
While Biden’s campaign emphasized a return to civility and democracy, Harris’s campaign focuses on the future, with “freedom” as a central theme. Her campaign has been aggressive, criticizing Trump for backing out of a September 10 debate and branding him a convicted felon and “weird.”
