Kamala Harris’s VP pick ‘accidentally leaked’

A Democrat leader might have accidentally let the cat out of the bag as to who Kamala Harris’s election running mate will be.

A Democrat leader might have accidentally let the cat out of the bag as to who Kamala Harris’ Presidential running mate will be.

A video posted on social media by Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker appears to suggest that Josh Shapiro will run as Ms Harris’s vice presidential nominee on the Democrat ticket for the November election.

The post read: “Proud to be back with so many leaders from across our region supporting @KamalaHarris for President and @JoshShapiroPA for VP! We are One CITY, One REGION, and ONE Commonwealth United!”

In a video message accompanying the post, Ms Parker said: “And I cannot think of a better partner than our governor, Josh Shapiro.”

The post led to claims the VP choice had been “accidentally leaked”.

With Pennsylvania one of the states very much in play in the battle between Ms Harris and Donald Trump, Mr Shapiro is the frontrunner for the VP slot in many experts’ eyes.

Proud to be back with so many leaders from across our region supporting @KamalaHarris for President and @JoshShapiroPA for VP! We are One CITY, One REGION, and ONE Commonwealth United! @PADems@PhillyDems@Joanna4PA@PADemsChair@IBEW98@[e-mail]/Rh1ojbRjcr

— Cherelle Parker (@PeopleforParker) August 2, 2024

KAMALA HARRIS’ VICE-PRESIDENT PICKS: WHO’S ON THE LIST

Kamala Harris is expected to unveil her election running mate as soon as this weekend, with six prospective vice presidential picks having been through the vetting process.

The Vice President plans to hit the campaign trail with her choice starting next Tuesday (local time) for a blitz of the seven battleground states that will decide the race against former president Donald Trump.

Speculation is mounting that Josh Shapiro – the popular governor of Pennsylvania, one of those key states – is the frontrunner after he cancelled a series of weekend fundraising events. His spokesman said only that his “schedule has changed”.

MORE: What a Harris presidency would mean for Australia

Democratic Presidential candidate, U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris. Picture: Getty Images via AFP

Ms Harris’s schedule next week starts in Philadelphia, the biggest city in Pennsylvania.

And her team has also reportedly been pressing Democratic donors to fast-track their contributions to her campaign, citing a rule that bars donations to a ticket that includes a sitting governor.

Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro. Picture: Getty Images via AFP

Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear. Picture: Darrin Phegley, Darrin Phegley-Capturing Life

Three other governors have been through the vetting process: Kentucky’s Andy Beshear, Minnesota’s Tim Walz and Illinois’s JB Pritzker. The other two options are Arizona senator Mark Kelly, who represents another key state, and Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg.

US Senator Mark Kelly. Picture: Getty Images via AFP

US Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg. Picture: Getty Images via AFP

The contenders have also been publicly auditioning for the role since Ms Harris replaced US President Joe Biden at the top of the Democratic Party ticket for November’s election.

Mr Walz gained national attention for calling Mr Trump “weird”, a sledge that other Democratic leaders have since copied, while Mr Shapiro told the Republican to stop “s***-talking America”.

Governor of Minnesota Tim Walz. Picture: AFP

Illinois Governor JB Pritzker. Picture: Getty Images via AFP

Mr Beshear attacked Mr Trump’s running mate JD Vance – whose family is from Kentucky – by saying he “ain’t from here”. Mr Buttigieg criticised Senator Vance’s argument that people who did not have children lacked a “physical commitment to the future of this country”.

And after Mr Trump claimed Ms Harris had “turned Black”, Senator Kelly hit out at him as a “scared old man”.

As Ms Harris mulled over the decision, she accidentally called herself the “president” while delivering a eulogy at the funeral of a Texas congresswoman, prompting applause and cheers from the crowd as she quickly corrected herself.