On Monday, Michigan's Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said she expects presumptive Democratic nominee Vice President Kamala Harris to make a decision on her running mate soon.
The comments from Whitmer came while she appeared on “CBS Mornings” on Monday after she was asked about a timeline for Harris to announce her running mate.
“Everything is truncated, and she’s going to make that decision probably in the next six, seven days,” Whitmer, also a co-chair for the Harris Campaign, said.
Several names are being thrown around as possible choices, including U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, Arizona Sen. Mark Kelly, and more.
Unlike former President Donald Trump, who announced his running mate at the Republican National Convention earlier this month, Whitmer says she expects Harris to make her announcement before her party meets in Chicago for their convention.
“I would imagine we’ll know who her running mate is, and we’ll get ready for convention,” Whitmer said.
The Democratic National Committee has outlined its timeline of events, saying it plans to start a virtual roll call vote to choose its presidential nominee by Aug. 1 and for Harris to select her partner by Aug. 7.
In the week since President Joe Biden has stepped out of the race, no major contender has stepped forward to challenge Harris for the party’s nomination. She has already gained support from more delegates than are necessary to win the nomination, according to the Associated Press.
“As a party, we have an obligation to design and implement a fair nomination for delegates to express their preferences through a vote,” DNC Chair Jaime Harrison said last week.
In her interview, Whitmer reaffirmed her previous commitment to serving out her term as governor, saying she was not being vetted as a potential candidate.
“The vice president has got a great group of people from whom she’s going to pick her running mate, and I know that I can be the best ally on the ground in Michigan as a co-chair of this campaign as well,” Whitmer said.