PHILADELPHIA — When the vice president finished her only round of in-person interviews with the vice presidential candidates, it was apparent to advisers that she was favoring Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz.
“It was clear that, after the interviews had concluded, she was leaning towards Walz for a host of reasons, probably chief among them rapport,” one person close to the vice president and involved in the process said. “But he was also clear-eyed on the vision.”
Another source familiar with the discussions called Walz the “vibey” pick. The pair has only met a few times, once at an abortion clinic, and they got along. Walz wasn’t solely picked because of this personal connection, but that “rapport” heavily influenced the decision.
The governor had already impressed the small vetting team by the time he met with Kamala Harris, a third person familiar with the vetting process told NOTUS. The team of Democratic operatives and lawyers — led by former Attorney General Eric Holder — had been tasked with pulling off both deeply researched dossiers and conducting interviews with potentially a dozen candidates before presenting them to the now Democratic nominee. They did it in only two weeks. Most campaigns have months.
Walz met with the vetting team at the end of last week. He presented himself as “chipper” and ready to serve. What stood out about him was that he didn’t sound like a man who wanted to be president one day.
“He was genuine,” a person close to the vetting team said. “He was authentic. He was eager to serve in any capacity, even if it wasn’t as vice president. He was OK with the role as described, you know, as the happy warrior.”
Harris sat for her own interview with Walz on Sunday. And the vice president left the interview “clear-eyed,” thanking her team for a seamless process, the source involved in the process said. By then, those around Harris felt she had an air of, “I’m good. I got this from here.”
The distinction — from a Democrat few saw coming as a top contender just weeks ago — has proven to be an important one in the hours since Harris announced Walz as her running mate.
Walz’s chief competitor was someone Democratic Party insiders have hyped for years. Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, a rising star in the party, was instantly billed as someone who could help Harris win the bellwether state in November.
But being a rising star can have its downsides; a vice president is one person away from the most powerful office in the country. Being governor means having more control. During their weekend meeting, one source close to Shapiro told NOTUS that the pair didn’t necessarily see eye to eye on the role of vice president.
“The way she envisioned the role of vice president just wasn’t something that he was, you know, excited about — giving up being governor,” they said.
Shapiro called the vice president’s team and said he was struggling to leave his job as governor, per a second person involved in the process. It was a sentiment he alluded to in his statement congratulating Harris and Walz.
Shapiro said he was “grateful to have the opportunity to speak with the Vice President directly about her vision for the role” and called it a “personal decision” for himself in even considering leaving the governorship.
Walz, meanwhile, who until last week was unknown to even some on Capitol Hill, was seen as a sleeper candidate.
“He doesn’t have any ambition to be president,” the source familiar with the vetting process said of Walz. “You don’t have to worry about him taking an unpopular assignment or giving it his all because he’s worried about his future, because he’s worried about the American people and the vice president being successful.” Harris had told top advisers that she’s looking for someone who can “balance the ticket” and serve as president if need be, NOTUS previously reported.
She was looking for “more of a governing partner” than an electoral boost, one person involved in the conversations said. Effectively, “someone with executive experience at the highest level.”
“She said from the outset that she was interested in somebody who understood the role,” one person in direct conversation with Harris told NOTUS. “Good chemistry, shared values and a fierce advocate for working families.”
In her meeting, Harris saw those qualities in Walz, multiple people said. Harris went to bed on Monday with her mind made up, two people told NOTUS, despite reports Tuesday morning that she was still deciding. It was Tuesday morning that she called more allies outside her inner circle to inform them of her choice, including President Joe Biden.
In all, Harris’ search largely focused on governors. Out of the many names that have been floated and confirmed, multiple sources tell NOTUS that the actual top contenders were Walz, Shapiro, Govs. Roy Cooper, Andy Beshear and Gretchen Whitmer, as well as Sen. Mark Kelly, who proved to be a favorite among Democratic donors.
Walz’s star grew quickly, especially as other favored candidates dropped out. Cooper removed his name from the hat early, upsetting many of Harris’ allies who believed he would be the best choice; the North Carolina governor and Harris have been friends for a long time.
Shapiro, meanwhile, faced detractors. Progressives in the party escalated concerns around Shapiro’s views on Israel, unions and school vouchers. And over the weekend, a report surfaced that Sen. John Fetterman had personally appealed to the Harris team that Shapiro is not to be trusted.
While some of Harris’ allies were aware of Shapiro’s ambitions, possibly of being president himself, three people told NOTUS that Fetterman’s warning had no bearing on Harris’ decision.
Harris, for her own part, spent Tuesday going over her remarks with aides in a great mood, one person said. Since announcing Walz, the campaign says it has raised more than $10 million from grassroots supporters alone, making it one of the campaign’s best fundraising days this cycle.
The second gentleman Doug Emhoff spent Tuesday, before heading to Philadelphia with his wife, doing call time, one person said.
And in the Temple University arena, the new Harris-Walz logo coated all sides.
“This ticket is set,” Democratic National Committee Chair Jaime Harrison said at the Philadelphia rally.
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Jasmine Wright is a reporter at NOTUS. Calen Razor, a NOTUS reporter and an Allbritton Journalism Institute fellow, contributed to this report.