In the fight for the presidential candidate from the Democratic Party, Kamala Harris, there are two frontrunners.
The New York Post reports that it is becoming increasingly likely that Ms. Harris will choose her running mate between Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro and Arizona Senator Mark Kelly.
Mr. Shapiro, 51, and Mr. Kelly, 60, each represent 2,024 states that Democrats desperately need to win in November.
“Shapiro is on his way to the top,” said one insider familiar with the back and forth. “Blocking Pennsylvania would change the entire trajectory of the race.”
Another prominent Democrat on Capitol Hill cautioned that negotiations are still “in flux.”
Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump famously painted Pennsylvania, the long-blue Keystone State, red in the 2016 election.
While Arizona is not as critical as Pennsylvania, which President Joe Biden and Ms. Harris won in 2020, it could remain in the Democratic column with Mr. Kelly on its ticket, supporters say.
Mr. Kelly comes with his list of positives, one Democratic congressman said.
“Astronaut, safe choice, Gabby Giffords,” the source said, referring to Kelly's former occupation and his politician wife, who survived the 2011 inaugural shooting in Tucson.
Meghan McCain, daughter of the late Arizona Republican Senator John McCain, said Mr Kelly was “absolutely” the favourite.
“He and his wife, Gabby, are well loved and respected in Arizona. Obviously, his military and NASA experience is very compelling and inspiring. He is a dangerous choice for Republicans,” she said.
Mr. Shapiro and Mr. Kelly are not without their faults.
Hamas activists loathe Mr. Shapiro for his staunch support for Israel and his tough stance against Hamas supporters at the University of Pennsylvania and other campuses, prompting left-wing activists to plead with Harris not to elect him.
Progressives on X, including New York City Councilman Chi Ose, have publicly urged Ms. Harris not to choose Mr. Shapiro.
“Vice President @KamalaHarris picking @JoshShapiroPA will hurt the momentum you have with young voters – anyone but him please,” he urged.
Mr. Shapiro was also accused by one state Democrat of not acting quickly enough to address a sexual-harassment complaint against one of his top staffers.
Mr. Kelly, by contrast, keeps his non-permanent Arizona Senate seat safe and blue as long as he stays. If left, he could easily be brought back by the Republicans in the next election cycle.
Insiders say Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer may hate to see such a trusted asset leave the chamber. A spokesman for Mr. Schumer declined to comment.
North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper and Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear are on reserve.
While neither state is as important to Democrats nationally as Pennsylvania or Arizona, both have a track record of attracting moderate voters who may be repelled by Ms. Harris's history of far-left political positions.
Mr. Cooper has won six statewide general elections in two decades in staunchly red North Carolina, while Mr. Beshear could blunt the appeal of Republican vice presidential nominee Sen. J.D. Vance among Appalachian voters.
This article originally appeared in the New York Post and has been reproduced with permission
