Another Democrat has entered the Kamala Harris veepstakes and it might be one of the least expected names in the Senate.
With Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer dropping out of the veepstakes, “there could be a Michigan-sized hole in Democrats’ roster of potential vice presidential contenders,” but that might not last for long, writes Axios.
Organized labor is leading a quiet push for Vice President Kamala Harris to consider Sen. Gary Peters (D-Mich.) as her running mate, Axios has learned.
Michigan is viewed as a must-win battleground state for Democrats, and strong support from unions could make Peters an attractive strategic option for Harris.
Labor leaders have had discussions with the Harris campaign about including Peters in the vice presidential selection process, one senior Democratic source told Axios.
A Michigan Democratic Party official told Axios Peters is interested in the nomination and has been working to drum up support.
Peters almost immediately endorsed Harris when news broke that Joe Biden was standing aside from seeking the Democratic nomination.
He may not particularly warm the hearts of anti-Israel leftwingers. In May, the Michigan senator introduced legislation with Republican Ted Budd to help Israel destroy tunnels created by Hamas.
Peters stated that the “legislation authorizes a $30 million increase in funding to expand Department of Defense efforts, in collaboration with the Israeli Defense Forces, to detect, maneuver through, and destroy tunnels constructed by Hamas and other terrorist organizations under the Strip and near the Israeli border.”
Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer, who is a co-chair of the Harris campaign and presumably influencing whom she chooses as a running mate, recently said that the Democratic ticket will likely be finalized in the coming week.
“Everything is truncated, and she’s going to make that decision probably in the next six, seven days,” Whitmer, a co-chair of the Harris campaign, said in an interview on “CBS Mornings” when asked about a timeline for choosing a running mate.
“I would imagine we’ll know who her running mate is, and we’ll get ready for convention,” Whitmer continued.
The Hill added that “Whitmer’s comments are consistent with the timeline outlined last week by the Democratic National Committee (DNC), which said it plans to start a virtual roll call vote to choose its presidential nominee by Aug. 1 and for Harris to select a running mate by Aug. 7.”
The Democratic National Convention will be held in Chicago beginning on August 19.
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