Harris picked Walz partly because he said he had no presidential ambition, member of vetting panel says
- Kamala Harris selected Tim Walz as her running mate.
- According to someone on the vetting panel, Walz's lack of presidential ambition played a part.
Vice President Kamala Harris' selection of Gov. Tim Walz as her new running mate was influenced by his lack of ambition to become president someday, according to a member of the vetting panel.
Cedric Richmond, a former Louisiana congressman who CNN said formed part of a three-person committee appearing on Zoom interviews with the running mate shortlist, appeared on CNN on Tuesday evening to discuss Walz's selection.
He explained that Harris wanted someone who would put the American people first, have good chemistry with her, and understand the vice-presidential role.
Richmond said, "Governor Walz fit that mold, and he expressed that he didn't have ambition to be president."
The CNN report detailed that Walz's lack of presidential aspirations was appreciated by Harris' team, which hoped to minimize potential internal drama in a possible Harris presidency, sources told the outlet.
In contrast, CNN said that while Walz came across as deferential, Gov. Josh Shapiro of Pennsylvania, considered a frontrunner in the Veepstakes, was perceived as overly ambitious during his vetting interview.
According to CNN, this followed through to his in-person meeting with Harris, where he posed "very specific" questions about the decisions he would be involved in should they win the election.
An unnamed Democratic adviser told the media outlet: "He was negotiating the job with her, while Walz was saying 'What can I do to help?'"
When asked whether Walz's lack of presidential ambitions differed from Shapiro's, Richmond responded that Shapiro is talented and cares about the American people, as did other running mate contenders, such as Sen. Mark Kelly of Arizona and Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear.
Neither Walz nor Shapiro responded to a request for comment from Business Insider.