LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Former Kentucky Congressman John Yarmuth, a Democrat, tells WHAS11 he'd expect Vice President Kamala Harris to announce her running mate by the end of this week.
It comes as Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, fresh off trips to Iowa and Georgia, remains on a shortlist of potential candidates.
"I don't see anybody working as hard as he's working," Yarmuth said, referring to Beshear's efforts to sell himself as the best choice among the other contenders. "It's the way he does everything."
Kentucky political pundits agree Beshear is still alive in the race, perhaps even gaining steam, but they're not necessarily convinced he'll be the pick.
"I don't think he does. My guess is he's probably in the next group," former Kentucky Secretary of State Trey Grayson, a Republican, told WHAS11 in Frankfort on Monday. "He's certainly got a chance and doing these kinds of auditions will help."
Grayson continued, "I think there are better candidates that she could choose, but I can understand why he's on the list."
Over the weekend, Beshear had arguably one of his most clear auditions for the Harris campaign in front of a sold out crowd of Iowa Democrats at their annual fundraising dinner in Des Moines. WHAS11 traveled to cover the event and interviewed the Governor moments before his keynote address.
At the podium, the Governor wasted no time touting the accomplishment that put him on the national radar.
"If you don't know me, I'm the guy who beat Mitch McConnell's handpicked candidate last November in Kentucky," Beshear said to attendees Saturday, referencing his victory over former Kentucky attorney general Daniel Cameron, a Republican.
Yarmuth, a close friend of Beshear's, watched the speech and this moment stood out to him, saying, "He basically said, this is my main credential. I can win in a red state. I can be successful against the most powerful Republicans."
He also noted the Beshear team's strategy to consistently take jabs at former President Donald Trump's VP pick, Sen. JD Vance of Ohio. On Saturday, Beshear called Vance a phony who lacks conviction, appearing to lean into the attack dog mentality that's been common for vice presidential candidates.
"It takes attention away from Donald Trump, and in a presidential race, if the attention is on your vice presidential candidate instead of the presidential candidate, you're in trouble," Yarmuth said.
Grayson also watched Beshear's address to Iowans, telling WHAS11, "[Beshear] and Vance have something that's clearly like they get under each other's skin."
"That's kind of an interesting thing that he's got that maybe the others who are on the shortlist don't have," Grayson said.
Grayson noted Beshear's remarks in Des Moines were more partisan than most Kentuckians have become accustomed to.
"He's trying to become the vice president of the Democratic Party, so it's appropriate to be more partisan. But it definitely seemed really from the beginning, he kind of introduced himself through a partisan lens, and it's like oh this is not, 'Hi, I've been your governor for the last four years, I've done a good job, keep me in office,'" Grayson said.
Then in Frankfort, you have Republicans like Kentucky Sen. Damon Thayer, one of Beshear's harshest critics for years.
"For him to try to sell himself as a vice presidential candidate -- as some kind of bipartisan hero -- it's fraudulent and frankly he should apologize for it because it's just wrong," Thayer told WHAS11 Monday.
Thayer doubled down on what he told WHAS11 days before President Biden dropped out of the race, that Beshear won't be selected as Harris' running mate.
"I could be proven wrong. I don't know if Kamala Harris is dumb enough to pick Andy Beshear, but maybe she is. But I don't see him getting picked," Thayer said.
Regardless of whether Beshear comes out on top, Yarmuth and others expect that decision to come before week's end.
Yarmuth added he believes Beshear's prospects for a national seat may not end even if he isn't selected as Harris' VP.
"If he's not the vice presidential pick, he could end up in the cabinet which would be another launching pad for further electoral office," Yarmuth said. "I think there are a lot of opportunities open to him, and this attention enhances all of them."
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