High-stakes veepstakes: How top VP contenders are wooing the Harris campaign

Can we clinch voters from swing states by grabbing hold of their governor? Who’s read “Hillbilly Elegy,” and what are they saying about it? And what does Diet Mountain Dew have to do with all of this?

Welcome to the remarkably fast and not-so-subtle race to be Vice President Kamala Harris’ 2024 running mate, where contenders — overwhelmingly white and male, as the internet has pointed out — have been unofficially auditioning to join Harris on the ticket in a decision that is expected by Aug. 7 . Many believe that Harris would benefit from picking someone who balances out the ticket on demographic, geographic location and other political variables that could tip the scale in Democrats’ favor.

Those reportedly in the mix include Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg, Govs. Tim Walz of Minnesota, Josh Shapiro of Pennsylvania, Roy Cooper of North Carolina, and Andy Beshear of Kentucky, as well as Arizona Sen. Mark Kelly. Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer is also believed to be under consideration, though she recently shot down the possibility . While none of them have publicly asked Harris to be her running mate, they’ve each confidently upped their visibility, hitting the campaign trail and the airwaves to campaign for her — while coyly deflecting when asked about the vice presidency slot.

The Harris campaign has said that the vice president “directed her team to begin the process of vetting potential running mates” but has not provided further information on the search. Potential candidates are being vetted by the Covington & Burling law firm, according to a person familiar with the process granted anonymity to discuss a private process.

Here’s how several top contenders are working to win the favor of the Harris campaign:

Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro: Showing off his swing-state prowess

There’s no one else under consideration who’s stood on a stage as supporter after supporter endorsed them for vice president.

“Alright, thank you very much,” Shapiro awkwardly told a local union leader at a Harris endorsement event on Friday that quickly became a celebration of the Pennsylvania governor’s qualifications for the presidential ticket.

The vice presidential selection, an intense vetting process usually carried out behind the scenes, has instead become an all-but-in-name competition for who’s amassing local state endorsements, stumping for Harris and suddenly appearing on cable news shows to knock the Republican ticket and show solidarity with Harris — all while graciously emphasizing that the choice is hers and hers alone.

Days before his Philly endorsement event morphed into a Shapiro for vice president rally , the governor couldn’t escape questions about whether or not he had thrown his hat into the ring for the number two spot. Ultimately, he called it a “deeply personal decision and a decision that should be made really free from any political pressure.”

In recent days, he’s started to campaign even harder for Harris — angling for a clear demonstration of his electability in the all-important swing state of Pennsylvania, where 19 Electoral votes will be up for grabs in November. Shapiro helped kick off the vice president’s volunteer operation in the central part of the state on Saturday, and he’s then scheduled to appear alongside Whitmer at a campaign event near Philadelphia on Monday.

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz: ‘They’re just weird’

Walz has embraced the limelight through a relentless schedule of media appearances this week, from "PBS NewsHour" on Tuesday to CNN’s "State of the Union" on Sunday.

But his most successful impression in the veepstakes was a comment he made on MSNBC’s “Inside with Jen Psaki” about Trump and Vance: “These guys are just weird.”

“You know there's something wrong with people when they talk about freedom: freedom to be in your bedroom, freedom to be in your exam room, freedom to tell your kids what they can read. That stuff is weird,” Walz said.

The dig at Republicans quickly went viral and was adopted by the Harris campaign in recent press releases. He repeated it to MSNBC’s Stephanie Ruhle, prompting the host to laugh out loud . And it’s helped draw attention to his stacked resume, which seems to offer a little bit of everything: He was a former high school teacher and football coach; he’s a veteran; and he’s a governor with union support who boasts a progressive record of achievements.

Walz has been a little more explicit about his interest in getting the nod, telling Minnesota Public Radio that he’d be open to the idea if Harris told him he could help her win.

“When I travel, a lot of states like what we’re doing here, and I think that idea that we could do that in other places would be great,” he said. “So if I could add to the vice president’s agenda, if I could add to that ticket, if I could help electorally, I would certainly listen to her.”

North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper: Keep the focus on Harris

After booking MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” the morning after Harris began her campaign, Cooper has taken a quieter approach than some of his fellow vice presidential contenders, seeking to divert attention away from the veepstakes in favor of refocusing on Harris.

“I appreciate people talking about me, but I think the focus right now needs to be on her this week,” he told MSNBC . “She needs to concentrate on making sure that she secures this nomination and gets the campaign ready to go.”

Cooper also suggested that the conversation about who should be vice president would occur “later” — though it’s unclear what “later” means in a campaign that feels like it’s moving a mile a minute. He urged Harris to pick a partner who can help her win.

He rallied support for Harris at a campaign event in North Carolina on Thursday, and unlike the other names swirling, Cooper has kept his posturing mostly focused on attacking Trump.

Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear: Attacking Vance on Appalachia

Beshear has had a furious local and national media schedule this week. He endorsed Harris on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” on Monday and then, without prompting, pivoted into an attack on Trump’s running mate Sen. JD Vance (R-Ohio).

“JD Vance ain’t from here,” Beshear said, accusing Vance of misrepresenting Appalachians in his 2016 memoir “Hillbilly Elegy” and launching a catchphrase that he would repeat in another interview on CNN the same day.

The one-line zinger is part of Beshear’s positioning as uniquely capable of going after Vance in the shadow campaign to be Harris’ running mate. After Vance said at a rally on Monday that he’d be viewed as racist for drinking Diet Mountain Dew, Beshear called the comment “weird” and retorted: “Who drinks Diet Mountain Dew?”

The next day, Beshear used his weekly press conference to bring a bottle of the bright green soft drink onto the podium and apologize not to Vance — but to Diet Mountain Dew .

In addition to CNN and MSNBC, Beshear has also hit up AP, The New York Times and local media, where he’s continued to play attack dog against Vance while speaking especially endearingly about Harris knowing his children by name and flexing their friendship.

“We have a trust in where we’re able to exchange ideas and give advice,” Beshear said on Monday, before demurring on the speculation: “The only way that [continuing to serve as governor] wouldn’t happen is if I have an opportunity to help Kentuckians in a different way that would bring additional value.”

In a sign of his growing national profile, Beshear has also lined up some convenient travel: He’s been scheduled to headline an Iowa Democratic Party dinner on Saturday, and he’ll also campaign for Harris in metro Atlanta on Sunday.

“What I’m able to confirm is that it’s an honor to be under consideration,” Beshear told the Times, barely hiding his interest.

Arizona Sen. Mark Kelly: Dispatching his wife Gabby Giffords

Despite a loud endorsement from Arizona Democrats, Kelly has been quieter about his interest in joining Harris in 2024. But his recent comments to reporters on the Hill helped showcase his ability to go to bat against potential political rival Vance, who drew scrutiny this week for condemning “ childless cat ladies ” and for saying that people without children have less of a stake in the country’s future.

The former astronaut repositioned Vance’s “childless cat ladies” comment by pivoting into an attack on his views on abortion.

“Here’s a guy who, when he’s talking about women who have been raped or who are pregnant because of incest, that 'two wrongs don’t make a right,'” Kelly said. “I have two daughters and a granddaughter. I really worry about their rights if Donald Trump is elected again, and JD Vance is the vice president.”

While some Republicans have favored restrictions on reproductive rights, including IVF after an Alabama Supreme Court ruling earlier this year , Kelly has gone on offense on the issue — previously detailing his personal experience with IVF .

He also tore into Vance on Ukraine, accusing him of wanting to “abandon” the country during a brief interview with POLITICO on Wednesday.

While Kelly hasn’t hit the campaign trail yet, former Arizona Rep. Gabby Giffords, Kelly’s wife who survived an assassination attempt in 2011, stumped for Harris at a church in Philadelphia. She also plans to visit Michigan on Sunday and Monday to help kickstart the campaign’s organizing in the state.

“This is not about me. This is about the future of this country,” Kelly told reporters in the Capitol when asked about being considered for vice president.

Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg: A conveniently timed Midwest tour

Buttigieg, already one of the Democratic Party’s most visible messengers, has upped his media and campaign presence this week. In interviews with MSNBC and CNN, Buttigieg hit Trump for appearing to back away from debating Harris . And similar to other contenders, he’s been coy about whether he’s being vetted by the Harris campaign.

“Anybody would be flattered to be mentioned in that context. I certainly am,” Buttigieg said on "Morning Joe."

He, too, was eager to go after Vance — who named Buttigieg alongside Harris explicitly in his resurfaced remarks where he questioned whether people without biological children have a "direct stake" in the nation’s future.

“The really sad thing is he said that after Chasten and I had been through a fairly heartbreaking setback in our adoption journey,” Buttigieg told CNN’s Kaitlan Collins . “He couldn’t have known that, but maybe that’s why you shouldn’t be talking about other people’s children.”

He also had time to sit down with The New York Times Magazine , for an interview with unmistakable hints of a possible candidate trying to gain his running mate’s favor. Buttigieg took the time to vouch for Harris’ sense of humor and her laugh, which Republicans have sought to weaponize, while admitting that Vance’s “Hillbilly Elegy” is “one of those books that I own but haven’t read, just to be honest.”

Buttigieg made it back to his home in Traverse City, Michigan, to headline a canvass launch for Harris alongside his husband, Chasten — who himself is appearing alongside second gentleman Doug Emhoff, a close friend, for a fundraiser on New York’s Fire Island on Aug. 2.

And Buttigieg’s schedule is only getting busier: On Sunday, he’ll be back on Fox News — a network that has previously provoked the transportation secretary into delivering some of his most viral quips — and his schedule as secretary next week conveniently takes him on a tour to tout Biden’s “Investing in America” agenda in Wisconsin, Michigan and Indiana.

Before that though, he’ll join a Monday fundraising call that seemingly nods to the field he’s competing in: “ White Dudes for Harris .”