Kelly, Shapiro most liked on Harris’s VP shortlist: Poll

Sen. Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.) and Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro (D) are the most liked vice presidential hopefuls for the Democratic ticket, according to a new poll.

The NPR/PBS News/Marist National survey, released Tuesday, found that most of Vice President Harris’s running mate contenders are largely unknown to U.S. voters, but that Kelly and Shapiro had the most favorable ratings. The latest poll comes as Harris is gearing up to reveal her vice-presidential pick later Tuesday.

The poll found that 31 percent of Americans view Kelly favorably, compared to 18 percent who had an unfavorable view of the Arizona senator. Another 52 percent said they did not know who Kelly was or were unsure on how to rate him.

On the other hand, 25 percent of Americans had a favorable view of Shapiro, while 23 percent had an unfavorable view. Another 53 percent said they had not heard of the governor or were unsure on how to view him.

Kelly and Shapiro have both emerged as top contenders for Harris’s running mate in recent weeks. Other potential contenders include Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz (D), whom 17 percent of Americans viewed positively, according to the poll. Another 12 percent viewed Walz unfavorably, while 71 percent had never heard of him or were unsure on how to rate him.

Harris, who recently secured the Democratic nomination, is heading to Philadelphia on Tuesday to launch a multistate tour with her VP pick. She has ignited enthusiasm among voters in just the first few weeks of her campaign, with her team saying she raised $310 million in the month of July.

There has been heavy speculation on whom Harris will select to join her ticket against former President Trump in November. The veepstakes race has also resulted in negative attacks against Shapiro from progressives on his stance about the Israel-Hamas war. Jewish Democrats have risen to Shapiro’s defense, saying the attacks against him are “clearly antisemitic.”

The poll also found that 46 percent of Americans have a favorable view of Harris, while 44 percent have a favorable view of Trump. Just more than a third, 34 percent, of Americans have a favorable view of Trump’s running mate, Sen. JD Vance (R-Ohio).

The NPR/PBS/Marist survey was conducted Aug. 1-4 among 1,613 adults and has a margin of error of 3.3 percentage points.