Kamala Harris’s Decision-Making Process for Choosing Tim Walz as Her Running Mate

The weekend was spent by Vice President Kamala Harris interviewing the top candidates on her VP shortlist, holding face-to-face meetings at her residence in Washington, D.C. with Govs. Tim Walz and Josh Shapiro, and Arizona Sen. Mark Kelly.

Just 16 days ago, President Joe Biden withdrew from the race, leading Harris and her vetting team, headed by former Attorney General Eric Holder, to work within a shortened time frame. Initially considering over a dozen individuals, the list was quickly narrowed down to nine, who were formally requested to provide vetting materials.

The process, typically taking months, was completed by Holder and his team, led by former White House counsel Dana Remus, campaign chair Jen O’Malley Dillon, campaign chief of staff Sheila Nix, and Harris’s brother-in-law Tony West, who handed over the final decision to Harris on Friday.

On Saturday, Harris met with her vetting team for extensive briefings on each candidate under consideration before conducting interviews with her top picks.

Sources familiar with the situation tell ABC News that after her interview with Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro, there was a feeling within Shapiro’s team that the meeting was not as successful as hoped. Following the interview on Sunday, Shapiro expressed reservations about leaving his position as governor to Harris’ team in a phone call.

Conversely, sources familiar with the matter indicated that Walz had a sense on Monday evening that he would be selected as Harris’ running mate.

On Monday, Harris made her decision and informed a small group of staff. She waited until Tuesday morning to call Walz.