The competitive and divisive primary elections, which many Democrats long sought to avoid, have finally reached the Democratic Party, with divisions becoming evident in the choice of a vice presidential candidate for Kamala Harris, who is likely to become a future president of the United States. The final phase of the campaign to select Harris's running mate has entered a critical stage in recent days, as donors, interest groups, and political competitors from both moderate and progressive wings of the party have been pushing for their preferred candidates and circulating memos discussing the political weaknesses of the contenders, according to a report published by The New York Times.
One favored candidate, Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro, faced sharp attacks that sparked opposition from progressives and even from a senator from his state. The rifts among Democrats became apparent when three major contenders—Shapiro, Senator Mark Kelly of Arizona, and Governor Tim Walz of Minnesota—met with Harris at her residence in Washington on Sunday, ahead of a decision her campaign said would be announced by tomorrow, Tuesday.
Harris is set to launch her campaign with her running mate this week, kicking off a five-day tour across seven states, starting with a rally on Tuesday night in Philadelphia. Shapiro is expected to attend this rally, regardless of whether he is selected as the vice presidential candidate.
Progressive groups have criticized Shapiro and Senator Kelly, accusing them of being too tame on key issues. Sean Fine, president of the United Auto Workers union, said during an interview on CBS on Sunday that Kelly "has not really alleviated" the union's concerns about his commitment to pro-worker legislation and that the organization has "bigger issues" with Shapiro's support for school vouchers.
Most Democratic donors indicated they would not oppose any of the candidates on Harris's final list, but there are divisions among the largest Democratic donors. A heated debate occurred in an email group for the Democracy Alliance, where left-leaning donors expressed concerns about Shapiro. Another group of progressive activists, communicating through an email group titled "Game Changer Salon," came out against Shapiro and urged their members to highlight his positions on the Israeli military campaign in Gaza. Some emails also called on members to push for Walz, who has become favored among the party's more liberal contributors, approximately 60 of whom he addressed on Friday.
Billy Wimsatt, the executive director of a liberal donor group known as the "Moving Voters Project," wrote in one email that Shapiro could cause a drop in turnout among progressive voters who are worried about the war in Gaza. He articulated in a series of emails shared with The New York Times that Tim Walz is the ideal name for the vice presidency alongside Harris "at this moment."
Senator John Fetterman of Pennsylvania, who has had a long-standing disagreement with Shapiro, expressed discontent at the prospect of promoting the governor to a national position, according to two individuals who spoke with him. One of his advisors contacted Harris's campaign to raise objections about Shapiro, a development first reported by Politico.
The rising attacks on Shapiro drew condemnation from some party moderates and others in the media. Joe Scarborough, host of MSNBC's "Morning Joe," strongly defended the Pennsylvania governor, stating in a post on X that the recent attacks on him were a "toxic mix of anti-Semitism, extreme views on Gaza, and envious colleagues."
In recent days, a group of progressive donors has made significant efforts to support Walz, the governor of Minnesota. Over the past week, Democratic activists, including Duran Schranz, a consultant for the "Faith Political Action Committee" in Minnesota, have circulated a memo titled "The case for Tim Walz as Vice President," hoping to influence Harris. A compromise candidate could emerge, such as Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear, who has supporters among the more liberal and centrist contributors in the party.
