Kamala Harris VP pick: The two likely candidates and when to expect an announcement

SOUTHFIELD, Mich. (FOX 2) - The list of Democrats hopeful for a shot at the Vice Presidency has been narrowed to two names and we could get an announcement as soon as Monday evening.

FOX 2's Roop Raj has learned from a source close to Vice President Kamala Harris that the Democratic nominee for President has made her choice for a running mate. That person has accepted the role but it has not been made public, yet.

However, Raj has also confirmed that the list is down to two names: Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro and Minnesota Governor Tim Walz. 

According to the source, the two candidates have surpassed Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg and Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear – the two other final candidates on Harris' list as potential Vice President.

Supporters are going to be the first to be alerted of the selection with a text message expected to be sent out as early as Monday evening.

In the two weeks since President Joe Biden announced he was withdrawing from the race for the White House and endorsed Harris for President, speculation has run rampant about who the Harris campaign would pick as her running mate.

Once Harris makes her pick, the two will begin a seven-state swing of key battlegrounds – including Michigan.

After Biden stepped out of the race for the White House, The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research conducted a poll of Americans and what they knew about each possible candidate. What was found is that some people throughout the country may not be familiar with the candidates.

Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro

Shapiro's name recognition doesn't extend much past the northeast, as of two weeks ago. First elected Pennsylvania governor in 2022, Shapiro may have more favor in the Northeast than the rest of the country.

In the Northeast, 4 in 10 U.S. adults have a favorable view of him. Another 4 in 10, don’t know enough to have an opinion of Shapiro, while 2 in 10 residents in the northeast view him negatively.

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According to the AP poll, 6 in 10 U.S. adults — including 57% of Democrats — don't know enough to have an opinion about Shapiro. And roughly 2 in 10 Americans view him favorably, and a similar share of respondents view him unfavorably.

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz

Walz was not included in the AP-NORC poll, but an ABC News/Ipsos poll, which asked about favorability slightly differently, found that about 9 in 10 U.S. adults don’t know enough about Walz to have an opinion on him. Among Americans with a view, opinions are split between positive and negative for the governor. 

Walz is the head of the Democratic Governors Association and also served for 12 years in the House.

According to the AP, Walz moved up the shortlist after he began using "weird" as a new talking point to describe the Republican ticket. It's a line now used widely by the vice president and other Democrats.

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The Associated Press contributed to this content.