Kamala Harris secures Democratic nomination and narrows down vice president search

Kamala Harris claimed the Democratic presidential nomination on Monday night and also trimmed down her VP search to Pennsylvania governor Josh Shapiro and Minnesota governor Tim Walz. 
 
Ms Harris, officially assumed the position of being the first woman of colour to lead a major party ticket via an online vote by the Democratic National Committee. 
 
She now has to choose a running mate, however, it was unclear if the decision on this had been made by Monday evening. 
 
Ms Harris spent the Sunday interviewing three contenders for the role, namely Mr Shapiro, Mr Walz and Mark Kelly, a senator of Arizona. 
 
She has agreed to have only two finalists now and these are Mr Shapiro, 51, and Mr Walz, 60 that instead of many, as three sources informed Reuters of the situation on Monday as the lady spent most of the time choosing the best candidate with her assistants. She is expected to make her choice this Tuesday morning. 
 
The rigorous process of ‘‘vetting’ a vice presidential candidate usually takes several months. 
 
Yet, Ms Harris the 59 years old lawyer has had only days to choose her preferred candidate with Joe Biden putting an end to his re-election campaign. 
 
Ms Harris will be making her first public appearance together with her running mate at a rally in Philadelphia on Tuesday this being the first time of a five day, seven state battleground tour the two will be conducting this week. 
 
The seven states will probably determine the presidential election scheduled in few months, on November 5. 
 
It was reported that Donald Trump’s campaign was not expecting Ms Harris to become such a force to reckon with following Mr Biden dropping out of the race. 
 
The former president’s running mate, JD Vance, Ohio senator, has been sent to reply to Ms Harris’s VP choice beginning with him visiting Philadelphia on Tuesday. 
 
Through the selection process Ms Harris some internal seams within the democratic party have been revealed. 
 
Due to the meteoritic rise of Ms Harris to the position of the party’s nominee, the search for the vice-presidential candidate took the tone of a second primary with bitter lobbying for and against the candidates. 
 
Mr Shapiro, the man favoured by the bookies, draws support from the moderate wing, and is well liked in his home state of Pennsylvania, which will be crucial for both Ms Harris and Mr Trump with its 19 electoral votes. 
 
Though, he has some problems with progressives as they pointed out his conformism to the support of Israel. 
 
Mr Walz, sixty, has turned out to be a darling of the party’s Left wing. He was a teacher and National Guard officer and taught football both, as well as advised the Gay-Straight Alliance student group throughout his twenty-year tenure teaching at the school. 
 
He was first elected in 2006 for the House of Representatives from a district considered to be of Republican affinity, and he is now on his second term as the Governor of Minnesota where he has been able to fulfill a list of progressive agenda within his short time in office which include, free school meals as well as increase of paid leave. 
 
Ms Harris’s reported short list of running mates has excluded any women of color, or anyone else not fitting the profile of a white male with a track record of beating rural white or independent voters. 
 
Other potential contenders are transport secretary Pete Buttigieg, Kentucky’s governor Andy Beshear and governor of Illinois JB Pritzker besides Mr Shapiro, Mr Walz and Mr Kelly. 
 
Reuters said that the candidates will be told on Monday night or Tuesday morning of Ms Harris’s decision.