Kamala Harris’ campaign is sending a crucial signal that she is closing in on her presidential running mate as speculation mounts over the shortlist

Kamala Harris will tour key states with her vice presidential nominee next week, a sign she is ready to make a decision on who it will be.

According to Reuters, Harris will name her running mate for the Democratic presidential nomination this weekend.

The candidates eligible include Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, Arizona Sen. Mark Kelly, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg.

Several candidates campaigned for her in crucial states this weekend, in what many saw as a bid for the vice presidency.

The list has also gotten shorter after North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper withdrew himself from the race on Monday, saying, “This just wasn’t the right time for North Carolina and for me to be able to compete on a national level.”

Harris, 59, has been in the spotlight among Democrats since President Joe Biden announced on July 21 that he was withdrawing from the 2024 campaign.

She quickly took over Biden’s campaign infrastructure and seamlessly transitioned to de facto Democratic nominee for 2024 last week after garnering enough delegate support to win the nomination.

She is now looking for a vice presidential candidate, focusing on men with executive experience from swing states to round out the field.

Her search is still ongoing and her teams of lawyers and political advisers are still reviewing the information.

Harris has personal interviews with the finalists.

If Harris wins the White House election in November, she will be the first woman, the first Black woman and the first person of South Asian descent to become president.

That’s why many Democrats have argued that she must balance her slate of candidates, both demographically and politically, with her choice of vice president.

Several candidates have already preceded her.

Shapiro and Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmore were in Pennsylvania over the weekend to congratulate her, even though Whitmore has dropped out of the vice presidential race.

Meanwhile, Beshear was in Georgia on Sunday. And Buttigieg was all over cable news, touting Harris’ credentials.

There are reports that Harris has narrowed her choices to Shaprio, Kelly, Beshear and Walz. All four men would be a balance on the ticket.

Kelly is from the swing state of Arizona, and Shapiro is from the swing state of Pennsylvania. Republicans are trying to capture Walz’s state of Minnesota. And Beshear is from Kentucky, making him the rare Democrat to win a statewide race in that red state.

All four men would also help appeal to working-class, white, rural voters who have drifted away from the party. Joe Biden won over many of them, helping him win the White House in 2020.

Here’s a closer look at the candidates:

GOVERNOR JOSH SHAPIRO OF PENNSYLVANIA

Shapiro, 51, is one of the most popular governors in the United States, having won the 2022 election by defeating a Republican backed by Trump.

He is an outspoken supporter of abortion rights and has won three state elections in Pennsylvania. His speaking style has drawn comparisons to former President Barack Obama.

As Attorney General, he stamped out abuse within the Catholic Church.

But he has been criticized by the left for his support for Israel’s war against Hamas, a private school voucher program and natural gas infrastructure.

His allies argue he would help Harris win Pennsylvania, part of the “blue wall” of Democratic states in the Midwest that is intended to keep Trump out of the White House.

If elected, he will likely have to answer to allegations about one of his top aides and closest allies, Mike Vereb, who resigned amid a sexual harassment investigation.

GOVERNOR OF KENTUCKY ANDY BESHEAR

Beshear, 46, stands out in a state where Republicans hold the majority.

During Harris’ weekend stop in Georgia, he spoke of winning votes in “tough counties” but emphasized liberal bona fides: “I’m a proud pro-union governor. I’m a proud pro-choice governor. I’m a proud public education governor. I’m a proud pro-diversity governor.”

Questions have been raised about Beshear’s position on abortion rights, which he is eager to clarify. He chose the self-pro-life Democrat, Jacqueline Coleman, as his lieutenant governor.

The closest in age to J.D. Vance among Democrats, Beshear openly mocks Trump’s understudy for presenting himself as a son of Appalachia. “I mean, there’s a county that J.D. Vance says he’s from in Kentucky — and I won it by 22 points last November,” he said.

GOVERNOR OF MINNESOTA TIM WALZ

Walz, 60, is a favorite of some progressives.

He has an atypical national political resume: he was a non-commissioned officer in the army, a public school teacher and a state school football championship coach before entering politics.

Before being elected governor, he was one of the last white Democrats in Congress representing a predominantly rural, small House district, and spent 12 years on Capitol Hill.

He is a notable step away from Harris, who hails from the liberal city of San Francisco, which many Democrats see as a good omen for the candidate.

His supporters argue that he is the best candidate to attract white rural men and union members to the Democratic ticket.

SENATOR MARK KELLY OF ARIZONA

Kelly, 60, is the only candidate in Congress.

He boasts an impressive military resume and experience as an astronaut.

He has strong Latino support locally and solid relationships with officials in Arizona along the U.S.-Mexico border. That balance could give him credibility on immigration policy, as Republicans view the high number of migrants crossing the border as a national crisis.

But Kelly had to shore up his standing with the union, a key Democratic party.

Kelly reversed his position on the union-backed legislation known as the PRO Act, which would make it easier to organize workers. He was one of the few Democrats not to co-sponsor the bill, saying at the time that he supported its goals but had concerns. After pushback from union leaders, Kelly said this month that he would vote for the bill if it came up for a vote.

His wife, Gabby Giffords, a former congresswoman, was shot in her district in 2011. Her recovery was celebrated nationally.