Why Harris has just two weeks to choose her running mate
Choosing a running mate is arguably the most crucial decision of a presidential campaign, but Harris may need to compress the entire process into about two weeks. Meet the Aug. 7 deadline set by the Democratic Party Confirm your ticket.
The deadline could force Harris to vet, interview, select and announce her running mate within the next 15 days, according to multiple Democrats involved in the process, or risk losing her spot on the Ohio ballot. Even if Harris chooses to ignore the deadline, it would only give her two weeks to do so, as the Democratic National Convention is scheduled to begin on Aug. 19.
“It’s a bit like speed dating,” said Michael LaRosa, a former press secretary to First Lady Jill Biden. “There’s a lot to consider: electoral math, personal chemistry, whether or not someone is a true ideological fit.”
Read the full story here.
Trump campaign files complaint against Biden and Harris with Federal Election Commission
The Trump campaign filed a complaint with the Federal Election Commission today, accusing Harris, Biden and others of violating campaign finance laws by allowing Harris to hand over more than $90 million in campaign funds this week.
According to a copy of the complaint obtained by NBC News, Trump’s lawyers alleged that Harris engaged in a “brazen money-making scheme.”
Dara Lindenbaum, a Democratic commissioner of the Federal Election Commission, said in an interview with NBC News that Harris’ name was already on the initial documents submitted to the commission, so election laws were not violated.
“This is a campaign committee run jointly by the presidential candidate and the vice presidential candidate,” Lindenbaum said. “Both are listed on the filings with the Federal Election Commission as candidates, so it’s clear that the vice president can continue to run the campaign committee.”
The FEC complaint was first reported by The New York Times.
Pete Buttigieg declined to discuss the vice presidential race when asked about Harris’ campaign.
Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, who has endorsed Harris as a presidential candidate, declined to comment on what role he might play in her campaign or administration if she wins in November’s election.
Asked on NBC News’ “Harry Jackson Now” if he would be a running mate if Harris nominated him, Buttigieg said he “can’t talk about the campaign or the election side,” citing concerns about talking about politics while working at the Department of Transportation.
When asked if Harris would remain in her current position if elected president, Buttigieg declined to comment, saying it was “just speculation.”
“I’m proud of the work I do,” he added.
Harris campaign considering Andy Beshear as running mate
According to a source familiar with the shortlist, Harris’ campaign is considering Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear as a possible running mate.
NBC News previously reported that the Harris campaign had requested investigative documents from North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper, Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro, Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz and Arizona Senator Mark Kelly.
Alumni from Biden’s 2020 campaign sign letter endorsing Harris
More than 700 former officials from Biden’s 2020 campaign have signed a letter supporting Harris’ candidacy, aiming to show unity in the goal of defeating Trump again.
“We have supported our leader, President Biden, for many years and will continue to do so under his guidance,” the letter said. “We will work, organize, and do all we can to ensure Vice President Harris’ victory in November.”
Signatories range from organizers on the ground and state officials to Greg Schultz, Biden’s former 2020 campaign manager. The petition was spearheaded by Vince Evans, who joined Biden as Southern regional political director in 2020, and Jen Ridder, the campaign’s national state director.
“These leaders represent a range of people who have worked for and with President Biden since he was president-elect, presidential candidate, vice president and, at one point, running mate to President Barack Obama,” said Evans, who worked for Harris as vice president and now serves as executive director of the Congressional Black Caucus. “We felt it was important to come together in support of President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris.”
“This team is true organizers, ready to go door to door, make phone calls and pull out all the stops to get Kamala Harris elected,” Ridder said.
Read the letter here:
Will Trump change his messaging to focus solely on Harris? The short answer is no.
The Trump campaign has shown no signs of shifting its message to focus solely on Harris, even after Biden announced he would not seek reelection. The Trump campaign is trying to link Harris to Biden, saying she is just as responsible for the administration’s actions as Biden, and even going so far as to say that Harris helped “cover up” the seriousness of Biden’s mental health issues.
The Trump campaign adviser continued the familiar talking points in a statement to NBC News: “Kamala Harris is weak, failed and dangerously liberal. Our approaches are virtually identical. Biden is so weak he has barely been able to explain his terrible track record on the economy, border invasions and the global chaos his weakness in the White House has caused. Harris has fully admitted to the same failures, especially on immigration crime as ‘Secretary for Border Affairs.’ Joe has acted like a far-right California liberal, but Harris is actually a far-right California liberal. Joe is Kamala. Kamala is Joe.”
Asked today in a rare official phone call to discuss Harris’ immigration record with reporters, Trump said if Harris would be a tougher opponent, “As far as she’s concerned as a candidate, it’s probably the same. I’ve noticed that the polls are virtually the same,” and added, “She’s the same as Biden, but much more extreme. She’s a radical leftist, and this country doesn’t want a radical leftist destroying the country. She’s much more extreme than Biden.”
“So I think she has an easier time than Biden because Biden is a little more mainstream, but not by much,” he said.
Harris’ candidacy reshapes strategy in key House and Senate races
Report from Washington
The rapid transition from Biden to Harris as the de facto Democratic nominee is shifting the balance of power between the two parties in a crucial race that will determine control of Congress.
For Republicans, the calculus shifts dramatically. Their candidates had backed Trump and bet they could win tough House and Senate races by aligning Democrats with an older, less popular Biden. Now they are pivoting to align with Harris, and GOP activists are already testing new lines of attack against her.
In the Democratic Party, candidates in hotly contested districts still plan to run as locally as possible. But lawmakers and party officials say He will benefit from a wave of enthusiasm for Harris in lower-districts.
Read the full story here.
Kevin McCarthy: DEI attacks on Harris are ‘silly and absurd’
Former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) today said it was “foolish and ridiculous” for his former colleagues to use the acronym DEI (Diversity, Equity and Inclusion) to attack Harris.
“I’m against DEI, but she’s the vice president of the United States and a former United States senator. For senators to say that, their own instincts are wrong,” McCarthy told NBC News reporter Garrett Haack on “Meet the Press Now.”
McCarthy also urged Republicans to stop calling for Biden to resign and said Harris’s election as president before the November election could be beneficial for her campaign.
Harris to speak at Houston teachers convention
Harris is scheduled to visit Houston on Thursday to speak at the United Federation of Teachers convention, according to a source familiar with the plans.
AFT President Randi Weingarten endorsed Harris on Sunday night after Biden announced he was not seeking reelection.
“Harris has fought to restore Roe, fight for family and student loan relief, and is a strong advocate for workers,” Weingarten said on X.
New Jersey First Lady Tammy Murphy has no interest in Menendez’s seat
New Jersey First Lady Tammy Murphy said in a statement today that she will not accept nomination to fill the Senate seat being vacated next month by longtime Democratic Senator Bob Menendez.
Murphy, who ran for Menendez’s seat in the state’s Democratic primary this year but withdrew in March, said she appreciated the support but believes the issues facing New Jerseyans are her biggest concern. “As I said in March, I am totally focused on the important work of promoting infant and maternal health, fighting climate change and elevating the voices of those who need it most,” she said.
Governor Phil Murphy announced today that he received a letter notifying Menendez of his intention to resign on August 20th following his conviction for accepting bribes, including cash and gold bars, to benefit the governments of Egypt and Qatar. “I will pursue my duties as pro tempore appointee to the United States Senate to ensure that the people of New Jersey receive the representation they deserve,” the governor said in a statement.
