Vice President Kamala Harris has begun vetting possible running mates, sending materials to several potential candidates to join her on the ticket. However, the popular Democratic governor of a reliably red state was not among them.
The Harris campaign sent vetting materials to North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., according to a report from the Wall Street Journal.
Notably absent from the list was Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, who many have speculated could be a frontrunner for the job. Beshear has also been one of the few in the group to express interest in potentially filling the role, telling CNN on Monday he would join the ticket if it would help further the interest of the people of Kentucky.
Vice President Kamala Harris speaks during an NCAA championship teams celebration on the South Lawn of the White House on July 22, 2024 in Washington, D.C. (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)
“The only reason I’d ever consider something else is if I felt that I could help my people in Kentucky more in a different role or that there was a chance to move past the partisanship, the constant fighting,” Beshear said.
However, Beshear also acknowledged that he had not received any vetting materials when asked by CNN, telling the outlet that he has “not been personally asked to submit information at this point.”
Meanwhile, other potential running mates have dodged questions about their openness to joining the ticket. Cooper, Shapiro, Pritzker and Kelly have all offered Harris their endorsement but stopped short of expressing interest in becoming the next vice president.
“I couldn’t be more confident that Vice President @KamalaHarrisis the right person to defeat Donald Trump and lead our country into the future,” Kelly said in a post on X. “She has my support for the nomination, and Gabby and I will do everything we can to elect her President of the United States.”
HARRIS GOES OVER THE TOP IN SECURING THE DEMOCRATIC NOMINATION
“I love being the governor of the state of Illinois, and I’ve been out on the campaign trail fighting hard for Democrats to win,” Pritzker told MSNBC when asked about his interest.
“I appreciate people talking about me, but I think the focus right now needs to be on her this week,” Cooper said when asked the same question by the outlet.
Kentucky incumbent Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear is joined by his wife, Britainy Beshear, right, Kentucky Lt. Governor Jacqueline Coleman, center left, and his family as he delivers his victory speech to a crowd at an election night event at Old Forresters Paristown Hall on Nov. 7, 2023 in Louisville, Kentucky. (Stephen Cohen/Getty Images)
In an interview with NBC News, Shapiro argued that the focus should be on defeating former President Trump.
“Our conversation was all about how we beat Donald Trump and protect our freedoms here in this commonwealth,” Shapiro told the outlet when asked if his conversations with Harris discussed the possibility of him joining the ticket.
VICE PRESIDENT RAKES IN A STAGGERING HAUL SINCE BIDEN DROPPED OUT
Whitmer, meanwhile, issued the most forceful denial of interest in joining the ticket, taking to social media to declare that she is “not planning to go anywhere.”
“I’m not leaving Michigan,” she said on X. “I’m proud to be the governor of Michigan. I have been consistent. I know everyone is always suspicious and asking this question over and over again – I know you’re doing your job – I’m not going anywhere.”
Walz, on the other hand, was another one of the few to express openness to the idea.
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz speaks at a press conference after two police officers and a first responder were shot and killed on Sunday, Feb. 18, 2024 in Burnsville, Minnesota. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)
“She mentioned she would need my help. And I said she has it in any way that she sees fit,” Walz said in an interview with Minnesota Now. “If that’s the direction she goes, I guess that’s fine.”
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The Harris campaign did not immediately respond to a Fox News Digital request for comment.