Sen. Kamala Harris, a California senator who has built a national following as a leading combatant against the Trump administration, has been seen as a likely Biden VP nominee even before he started running. | Scott Olson/Getty Images
When former Sen. Chris Dodd, a member of Joe Biden’s vice presidential search committee, recently asked Kamala Harris about her ambush on Biden in the first Democratic debate, Dodd was stunned by her response.
“She laughed and said, ‘that’s politics.’ She had no remorse,” Dodd told a longtime Biden supporter and donor, who relayed the exchange to POLITICO on condition of anonymity.
“Dodd felt it was a gimmick, that it was cheap,” the donor said. The person added that Dodd’s concerns about Harris were so deep that he’s helped elevate California Rep. Karen Bass during the vetting process, urging Biden to pick her because “she’s a loyal No. 2. And that’s what Biden really wants.” Through an aide, Dodd declined to comment. Advisers to Harris also declined to comment.
Harris, a California senator who has built a national following as a leading combatant against the Trump administration, has been seen as a likely Biden VP even before he started running. More than a year later, despite a campaign that didn’t even make it to the first nominating contests, Harris still appears to be in the pole position for the post: Interviews with more than four dozen elected officials, strategists, former Biden advisers and plugged-in donors said they think Harris is the closest Biden has to a “do no harm” option.
And people in three other competing camps privately said that while their candidates have a shot for VP, Harris is more likely to get the nod.
Yet with Biden set to make his decision as soon as the beginning of August, there are still hang-ups over Harris — largely over the matter of trust.
Former high-ranking Democratic Party officials and elected officials have expressed concerns about her to the vetting committee in recent weeks, according to four sources who’ve spoken to the Biden vetting team.
The interviews for this article revealed a contingent of Democrats who are lobbying against Harris for VP — some privately, some openly. Several California Democrats who spoke to Biden’s vetting team have shared glowing reviews of Bass, the chairwoman of the Congressional Black Caucus and a former state Assembly speaker. Others touted Illinois Sen. Tammy Duckworth, who earned a Purple Heart in combat, and former national security adviser Susan Rice, whom they came to know though her connections to Stanford University in the Bay Area.
“I don’t think Kamala Harris has it in the bag,” said former Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.), reacting to the dozens of Democrats who believe Harris is the likely pick. Reid, who speaks frequently with Dodd, met with Harris recently and said he thinks highly of her.
Harris declined an interview request about the search, as she has throughout the VP process. But her allies have been trying to convey to Biden’s team and publicly that beyond her own appeal, she could be a trusted partner. They point to the scores of endorsements she landed from current home-state officials.
“She is somebody who has always loved to campaign and work on behalf of other people—going back to her earliest campaigning for state Sen. Barack Obama. She’s often more comfortable talking up others rather than herself,” said Brian Brokaw, a Democratic strategist who managed Harris’ runs for state attorney general.
Democratic strategist Karen Finney said Harris holds an advantage after having already built a national profile by running for president.
“The reality is you have a short period of time and you’re trying to win the election,” Finney said of Harris’ edge over others. “How you do it is also challenging, given the Covid reality. You’re not able to do the big rally” to introduce a new face to the nation.
Carla Marinucci contributed to this report.
