Vice President Kamala Harris is preparing for her potential presidential campaign following President Biden’s unexpected decision to not seek reelection.
Reports indicate that Biden changed his mind shortly before his announcement, which surprised Harris.
She is now considering possible running mates, including Senator Mark Kelly, Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro, Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear, and North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper, to strengthen her candidacy.
Despite receiving endorsements from high-profile figures like Bill and Hillary Clinton and Biden, several prominent Democrats, including Barack Obama and various governors, have withheld their support for Harris.
“And the first thing I’m told that they’re looking at is logistics. They have a campaign to put together. She has to see, as Phil was talking about earlier, whether anyone’s going to challenge her,” CNN’s Jamie Gangel stated.
“The other thing is simply, you know, how does she get her name on the ballot? Yes, she is part of this infrastructure with the campaign and the convention, but this is a whole new game.”
“There are clearly others, but those four names are the names I keep hearing about,” Gangel said.
“We will be navigating uncharted waters in the days ahead. But I have extraordinary confidence that the leaders of our party will be able to create a process from which an outstanding nominee emerges,” Obama wrote.
“I believe that Joe Biden’s vision of a generous, prosperous, and united America that provides opportunity for everyone will be on full display at the Democratic Convention in August. And I expect that every single one of us are prepared to carry that message of hope and progress forward into November and beyond.”
As part of the transition, the Biden campaign has rebranded as “Harris for President,” and campaign leaders are working to reassure staff about their roles moving forward.
President Biden is expected to address the nation regarding his decision later in the week.
