Josh Shapiro vetted in DC as Kamala Harris' VP pick down to the wire

The stage at Temple University's Liacouras Center is where Vice President Kamala Harris will appear publicly for the first time with her running mate.

The big picture: Harris didn't announce her VP pick over the weekend, but top Democrats tell Axios signs point to Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro .

• Virtually all roads to 270 electoral votes run through our state — one of the few things the Harris and Trump campaigns agree on.

Between the lines: While Harris could surprise everyone, she seems to be headed toward a pick that a wide variety of sources — Republicans and Democrats — think is both shrewd and straightforward.

• It's a combination of math and logic: Pennsylvania is the biggest swing-state prize on the map. And Shapiro has a 61% approval rating .

Catch up quick: Harris interviewed three VP finalists — Shapiro, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and Sen. Mark Kelly of Arizona — at her residence in Washington, D.C., on Sunday, Reuters reports .

• Days earlier, Shapiro had canceled pre-planned fundraisers that he was scheduled to hold over the weekend in the Hamptons, adding to the breathless fervor around the veepstakes.
• Some Wall Street donors are convinced Harris will pick a governor, in part because they were told to mail in their checks this week to avoid triggering a pay-to-play financial rule .

The latest: This weekend saw a flurry of efforts by rival Democratic camps to tank Shapiro's chances.

• One report has U.S. Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) favoring Walz, with a source familiar with her thinking telling The Hill she "is always especially fond of former House colleagues."
• Advisers to Sen. John Fetterman (D-Penn.) have privately relayed to Harris' team his worries that Shapiro, a long-running rival in Pennsylvania, is excessively focused on personal ambitions, Politico reports .

Meanwhile, the Harris campaign has urged reporters not to read into Philadelphia being chosen to kick off a tour of seven battleground states, including stops in western Wisconsin, Detroit and Raleigh, North Carolina.

• But Shapiro will almost certainly be there — either as a running mate or runner-up.

What we're watching: If Harris selects Shapiro, he'll have to decide whether or not to step down as governor, which could trigger a line of succession leading to Lt. Gov. Austin Davis assuming Shapiro's role.

• But some political analysts told Axios they believe Shapiro is more likely to remain governor while campaigning.