Harris has cleared her weekend schedule of rallies to complete the search and make her final decision as a potential candidate.

Washington: U.S. Vice President and Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris will meet three finalists for her runner-up for a chemistry test on Sunday, taking the search to the final stretch. She will announce her choice at a rally in Philadelphia on Tuesday. Harris is expected to use these one-on-one meetings to test the personal chemistry between her and her constituents, whose ticket she will serve for four years if she wins and another four if she is re-elected.

Another important qualification is governance – will they be willing to step up for her when needed. The finalists are Minnesota and Pennsylvania Governors Tim Walz and Josh Shapiro, respectively, and Senator Mark Kelly.

It was not immediately clear if invitations were extended to other contenders, including Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker and Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg. Last month, North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper withdrew from the race.

Typically, presidential candidates spend months choosing running mates. However, after leading the Democratic ticket on July 21, Harris was forced to end her search within weeks after President Joe Biden halted his re-election campaign due to intra-party pressure and endorsed the vice president.

Eric Holder, a former attorney general, along with a team of lawyers, scrutinized the candidate by examining extensive documents to create a shortlist for Harris' consideration. On Saturday, Holder presented his findings to the vice president at his Naval Observatory residence.

Harris has cleared her weekend schedule of rallies to complete the search and make her final decision as a potential candidate. Governor Walz of Minnesota has won favor for his down-to-earth demeanor and strong union connections. As a former teacher and multi-term House representative, he has drawn attention from Democrats, particularly for labeling the Republican nominee, former President Donald Trump, and his campaign as “weird” — a term now adopted by Harris' campaign and Democrats. Party post.

Pennsylvania Governor Shapiro is considered a front-runner due to his popularity in the state, which is crucial to Harris' White House bid. The former two-term attorney general won the governor's race in 2022 by about 15 percentage points. Harris currently trails Trump by 2.7 percentage points in Pennsylvania, according to a RealClearPolitics poll.

Kelly is from another key battleground state, Arizona, and her support could be crucial in helping Harris get the 270 Electoral College votes she needs to become the first woman president of the United States. Harris trails Trump by 4 percentage points in Arizona. Kelly's background as a former fighter pilot and astronaut adds a special edge to the ticket. He is also known as the partner of former Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, who left politics after surviving an assassination attempt in 2011.

(with IANS input)