Kamala Harris is set to announce her running mate as early as Monday as she gears up for a tour of key US battleground states.
This tour is designed to translate the enthusiasm for her presidential campaign into sustained support that will help secure her victory.
According to NDTV World, the path to the White House relies heavily on a few pivotal swing states. Harris will begin her five-day tour on Tuesday in Pennsylvania, the largest of these states, as she seeks to build momentum for her upcoming contest against Republican Donald Trump on November 5.
“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, fuelled 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, the country’s first female, Black, and South Asian vice president is poised to enter the national convention in Chicago in two weeks with full control of her party.
In just two weeks, the 59-year-old former prosecutor has shattered fundraising records, drawn massive crowds, and dominated social media, overcoming the polling leads once held by Trump before President Joe Biden exited the race.
Next on her agenda is selecting a vice presidential running mate, with an announcement expected before her rally on Tuesday evening in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania’s largest city.
Pennsylvania is a key battleground state crucial for the Electoral College system and is part of the “blue wall” that helped Biden win the White House in 2020, alongside Michigan and Wisconsin, where Harris is scheduled to campaign on Wednesday.
The state is currently governed by 51-year-old Democrat Josh Shapiro, a leading candidate in the vice presidential selection process, which also includes state governors Tim Walz and Andy Beshear, Arizona Senator Mark Kelly, and US Transport Secretary Pete Buttigieg.
‘Freedom’
Later in the week, Harris will campaign across the racially diverse Sun Belt and southern states, including Arizona, Nevada, Georgia, and North Carolina, to solidify support among Black and Hispanic voters who have been drifting away from the Democrats.
Just a month ago, Trump appeared to be in a strong position, leading in swing state polls after a poor debate performance by Biden. Trump also kept the country guessing about his own vice-presidential choice.
Trump’s White House bid was disrupted on July 21 when 81-year-old Biden, grappling with concerns about his age and declining poll numbers, exited the race and endorsed Harris.
Now, with Harris, 20 years younger than the 78-year-old Trump, making a swift start, she has raised $310 million in July—more than double Trump’s fundraising total.
While Biden emphasized a return to civility and the protection of democracy, Harris has focused on future-oriented themes, making voters’ hard-won “freedom” central to her campaign.
Harris and her supporters have been more combative than Biden’s team, ridiculing Trump for backing out of a September 10 debate and portraying him as an elderly criminal and “weird.”
Although Harris has distanced herself from some of the leftist positions from her previous 2020 primary campaign, she has not given a comprehensive interview since entering the race, and rally-goers are eager to hear more about her plans for the country.