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VP candidates Josh Shapiro and Gretchen Whitmer to campaign for Harris next week

Whitmer and Shapiro are expected to speak out against Project 2025 at a campaign event

Katie Hawkinson
Friday 26 July 2024 19:35 BST
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Related video: Lawmakers react as Kamala Harris set to enter presidential race

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Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer and Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro will campaign together for Kamala Harris next week.

Whitmer and Shapiro both endorsed the vice president as the next Democratic candidate to face Donald Trump after President Joe Biden ended his re-election bid on Sunday.

The duo is set to appear at a campaign event in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania on Monday,The Philadelphia Inquirer reports. They are expected to speak out against Project 2025, a blueprint for a second Trump term.

The 2025 plan was spearheaded by The Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank, and more than a dozen former Trump administration officials. The document includes plans to expand his executive authority, replace civil servants with loyalists, crush abortion rights, attack civil rights for LGBTQ+ people and impose an anti-immigrant agenda.

Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro (left) pictured with Vice President Kamala Harris (right). Shapiro and Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer will campaign for the vice president on Monday
Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro (left) pictured with Vice President Kamala Harris (right). Shapiro and Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer will campaign for the vice president on Monday (REUTERS)

Both governors are considered front-runners for Harris’ running mate. Shapiro is attending several weekend events to back Harris in her election bid.

Harris began sending initial vetting materials to potential vice presidents on Tuesday, the Associated Press reports. Shapiro said he hadn’t received any materials on Tuesday. However, when asked a similar question on Wednesday, he referred the inquiry to Harris’ campaign team, according to the AP.

Additional top picks for Harris include Senator Mark Kelly, a former astronaut who represents the swing state Arizona, and North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper.

However, her entire list of candidates includes more than a dozen names, the AP reports. Other names include Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, Illinois Governor JB Pritzker, and Minnesota Governor Tim Walz.

Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer, pictured campaigning for President Joe Biden, is now one of Kamala Harris’ potential running mates
Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer, pictured campaigning for President Joe Biden, is now one of Kamala Harris’ potential running mates (AFP via Getty Images)

The campaign is also vetting at least one person who isn’t currently in government, according to the AP.

Meanwhile, in the GOP camp, some Republican lawmakers are concerned about Trump’s decision to run alongside Senator JD Vance, Axios reports.

“The road got a lot harder,” one House Republican told Axios. “He was the only pick that wasn’t the safe pick. And I think everyone has now realized that.”

Another unnamed GOP lawmaker told Axios Vance “doesn’t add much” to the Trump campaign.

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