Picking a running mate: Inside the 16 days between Kamala Harris' launch and her choice of Tim Walz

WASHINGTON (AP) — Kamala Harris’ whirlwind process to select Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as her running mate can be summed up in a word: weird.

With President Joe Biden and Harris, his vice president, seeking a second term together, Democrats weren’t supposed to have a veep search at all. But as soon Biden bowed out and endorsed Harris on July 21, the vice president and her team had no choice but to move quickly — and they did.

Harris tapped former Attorney General Eric Holder, a veteran of the Obama administration whom the vice president knows well, and Dana Remus, a former Biden White House counsel, to lead the closely held vetting process. A bevy of potential contenders, meanwhile, operated on a parallel and much more public track. It was a process that highlighted Democrats’ ample national bench and the fragile unity that has defined the early days of Harris’ White House bid against Republican nominee and former President Donald Trump.

What follows is an account based on interviews with aides and confidants to Harris and several running mate contenders. Most were granted anonymity to discuss private conversations and deliberations.

Conventional wisdom suggested that Harris needed a white man, given she is the barrier-breaking vice president who would be the first woman, second Black person and first person of South Asian descent to reach the Oval Office. Harris confidants said she would consider pragmatic electoral considerations and her personal comfort level with a potential governing partner.

Speculation settled quickly on a trio of governors: Andy Beshear of Kentucky, Roy Cooper of North Carolina and Josh Shapiro of Pennsylvania. Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker got attention. And Washington contenders included Sen. Mark Kelly of Arizona and Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg.

Shapiro was touted as the popular governor in a critical battleground state with 19 electoral votes. Kelly is a popular senator in a border state who has credibility on immigration to go with his impressive military record and time as an astronaut. Cooper, who quietly bowed out before being formally vetted, was twice elected governor in a state Trump won twice and before that was a state attorney general alongside Harris, who held the same post in California.

The vetting team ultimately examined nine contenders closely, including Walz. But he started largely as an afterthought.

Still, earlier this year and with little fanfare, Harris had traveled to Minnesota and gone to a Planned Parenthood clinic with Walz, a former House member. According to people familiar with her thinking, she recalled a connection and identifying shared values with the governor.

Then, on July 23, two days after Biden ended his campaign, Walz went on MSNBC's “Morning Joe” and with his characteristic informal style leveled a dig at Trump and his running mate, Ohio Sen. JD Vance, that went viral.

“These guys are just weird,” Walz said.

Still, at that point, Shapiro and Kelly had emerged publicly and privately as front-runners.

As Holder and Remus continued their work a week into Harris' campaign, contenders began making the rounds on cable news and on the campaign trail.

On July 28, Beshear traveled to Georgia, the state that produced the closest result in the 2020 campaign between Trump and Biden. He sharpened his attacks on Vance, and touted his successes in a conservative state. The next day it was Shapiro's turn to brag on Harris — and himself.

About the same time, Democratic factions starting rumbling with criticisms of various hopefuls.

Shapiro drew rebukes from some of the same progressives who have protested over the Biden administration's support of Israel in its war against Hamas in Gaza. Shapiro, who is Jewish, has actually been harshly critical of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu but remains supportive of the Israeli government. Some labor leaders expressed skepticism over Shapiro and Kelly. Pennsylvania Sen. John Fetterman, an in-state rival of Shapiro's, passed a message to the Harris team expressing concerns that Shapiro was a political opportunist and not necessarily cut out to be a second-in-command.

Harris, meanwhile, was in Atlanta on July 30 for a rally in which she wielded Walz's “weird” dig to the delight of almost 10,000 boisterous supporters. By then, Walz was recognized as the message-maker and touted as a legitimate contender. His status was bolstered, perhaps, by Cooper confirming that he, days earlier, told the vetting team he declined to be considered.

That meant that Harris would have no top contenders left with whom she had worked closely — giving everyone else an opening.

Holder and Remus concluded their initial round of vetting on last Thursday, two days after Harris’ Georgia rally.

On Friday, a panel of Harris advisers and confidants conducted interviews with several contenders before making recommendations to the vice president. A larger team, which included Holder, Remus and campaign chair Jen O'Malley Dillon, made its presentation to Harris on Saturday at the vice president’s residence in Washington.

Separately, campaign aides worked feverishly on rollout plans for all the remaining options — new logos, social media plans and individually tailored speeches.

On Sunday, Harris interviewed Shapiro, Kelly and Walz at the Naval Observatory. According to people familiar with the conversations, her 90 minutes with Walz stood out. Harris had also been impressed with Walz’s record as a House member and governor, and his biography before politics: Army National Guard noncommissioned officer, public school teacher, high school football coach. The two politicians gelled.

For Shapiro’s part, he told Harris’ team after his interview that he felt he had more to do leading the commonwealth but said he was committed to supporting her and the ticket.

The interviews and conversations with her team had Harris leaning firmly in Walz’s direction but she wanted to sleep on it. Ultimately, she felt the same Tuesday morning. And later Tuesday, she was ready to make phone calls, including to Shapiro and Kelly to share her decision.

“I think Walz just emerged as that person who she grew to trust and admire,” said Bakari Sellers, who co-chaired Harris’ 2020 Democratic primary bid. “She actually is a vice president and knows what is required of her job, and she wanted someone to support her.”

It turns out Walz was not quite ready. The first time Harris dialed his number, he ignored what showed up as a restricted number. She dialed again, and he answered.

“Listen, I want you to do this with me,” Harris said. “Let’s do this together. Would you be my running mate and let’s get this thing on the road.”

Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris and her running mate Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz arrive at a campaign rally in Philadelphia, Tuesday, Aug. 6, 2024. (AP Photo/Joe Lamberti)

Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris and her running mate Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz arrive at a campaign rally in Philadelphia, Tuesday, Aug. 6, 2024. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris and her running mate Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz speak at a campaign rally in Philadelphia, Tuesday, Aug. 6, 2024. (AP Photo/Joe Lamberti)

NEW YORK (AP) — Sean “Diddy" Combs was arrested late Monday in New York, where he faces a sealed criminal indictment, prosecutors announced late Monday.

Details of the charges weren't immediately announced by prosecutors, but the hip-hop mogul has faced a stream of allegations by women in recent months who accused him of sexual assault.

The U.S. attorney in Manhattan, Damian Williams, said in a statement that federal agents arrested Combs. “We expect to move to unseal the indictment in the morning and will have more to say at that time.”

Combs' lawyer, Marc Agnifilo, issued a statement saying: “We are disappointed with the decision to pursue what we believe is an unjust prosecution of Mr. Combs by the U.S. Attorney’s Office.”

He added that Combs had gone to New York last week in anticipation of the charges being brought.

“He is an imperfect person, but he is not a criminal,” Agnifilo said.

Combs was arrested in a Manhattan hotel lobby and is in federal custody, said a person familiar with the arrest who spoke with The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly.

The criminal charges are a major but not unexpected takedown of one of the most prominent producers and most famous names in the history of hip-hop.

The federal investigation of the 58-year-old Combs was revealed when Homeland Security Investigations agents served simultaneous search warrants and raided Combs' mansions in Los Angeles and Miami on March 25.

His defense attorney Aaron Dyer the day after the raids called them “a gross use of military-level force,” said the allegations were “meritless,” and said Combs was “innocent and will continue to fight" to clear his name.

Combs, then known as Puff Daddy, was at the center of the East Coast-West Coast hip-hop battles of the 1990s as the partner and producer of the Notorious B.I.G., who was shot and killed in 1997. But like many of those who survived the era, his public image had softened with age into a genteel host of parties in Hollywood and the Hamptons, a fashion-forward businessman, and a doting father who spoiled his kids, some of whom lost their mother in 2018.

But a different image began emerging in November, when his former protege and girlfriend, the R&B singer Cassie, became the first of several people to sue him for sexual abuse with stories of a steady stream of sex workers in drug-fueled settings where some of those involved were coerced or cajoled into sex.

In her November lawsuit, Cassie alleged years of abuse, including beatings and rape. Her suit also alleged Combs engaged in sex trafficking by “requiring her to engage in forced sexual acts in multiple jurisdictions” and by engaging in “harboring and transportation of Plaintiff for purposes of sex induced by force, fraud, or coercion.”

It also said he compelled her to help him traffic male sex workers Combs would force Cassie to have sex with while he filmed.

The suit was settled settled the following day, but its reverberations would last far longer. Combs lost lingering allies, supporters and those reserving judgment when CNN in May aired a leaked video of him punching Cassie, kicking her and throwing her on the floor in a hotel hallway.

The following day, in his first real acknowledgement of wrongdoing since the stream of allegations began, Combs posted a social media video apologizing, saying “I was disgusted when I did it” and “I’m disgusted now.” Cassie’s lawsuit was followed by at least a half-dozen others in the ensuing months.

In February, a music producer filed a lawsuit alleging Combs coerced him to solicit prostitutes and pressured him to have sex with them.

Another of Combs’ accusers was a woman who said the rap producer raped her two decades ago when she was 17.

Another woman who filed a lawsuit, April Lampos, said she was a college student in 1994 when she met Combs and a series of “terrifying sexual encounters” with Combs and those around him began that lasted for years.

Combs and his attorneys denied nearly all of the lawsuits’ allegations.

While authorities did not publicly say that the lawsuits set off the criminal investigation, Dyer said when the warrants were served that the case was based on “meritless accusations made in civil lawsuits.”

The AP does not typically name people who say they have been sexually abused unless they come forward publicly as Cassie and Lampros did.

As the founder of Bad Boy Records, Combs became one of the most influential hip-hop producers and executives of the past three decades Along with the Notorious B.I.G. he worked with a slew of top-tier artists including Mary J. Blige, Usher, Lil Kim, Faith Evans and 112.

Combs’ roles in his businesses beyond music — including lucrative private-label spirits, a media company and the Sean John Fashion line — took major hits when the allegations arose.

The consequences were even greater when the leaked beating video emerged. Howard University cut ties with him, and he returned his key to the city of New York at the request of the mayor.

Dalton reported from Los Angeles.

FILE - Sean "Diddy" Combs arrives at the LA Premiere of "The Four: Battle For Stardom" at the CBS Radford Studio Center on May 30, 2018, in Los Angeles. (Photo by Willy Sanjuan/Invision/AP, File)