Harris campaign requests vetting materials from several possible running mates

WASHINGTON — Vice President Kamala Harris' presidential campaign has requested vetting materials from five possible running mates, according to two sources familiar with the effort to review the backgrounds of those being considered.

The five Democratic vice presidential contenders are North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper; Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro; Sen. Mark Kelly, of Arizona; Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer; and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz.

Pennsylvania, Michigan, Arizona and North Carolina are among the critical battleground states that Harris may need to win the Electoral College in November.

Two other possible names under discussion include Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker and former Rep. Cedric Richmond, of Louisiana, who has served as a Biden-Harris campaign co-chair, one of the sources said. It's not clear if the two received vetting materials.

NBC News has reached out to all of the potential picks.

Sources didn't say whether Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, who was considered another possible pick, received vetting materials.

Eric Holder, who was the attorney general in the Obama administration, has been tasked with leading the vetting process for Harris' potential running mates, according to two sources familiar with the matter.

Holder and the law firm where he is a senior counsel, Covington & Burling LLP, will oversee the operation, which is taking place on a more compressed timeline compared to other election cycles given President Joe Biden’s late decision to exit the 2024 race.

The goal is still to have a vice presidential nominee for Harris ahead of the Democratic National Convention in Chicago, scheduled for Aug. 19 to 22.

The exact mechanism for how that person will be formally nominated is still being worked