LOUISVILLE, Ky. — No surprise here: Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear is squarely in the mix to be Vice President Kamala Harris' running mate.
Beshear was asked to submit vetting materials to the Harris campaign, ABC News reported Tuesday. The report stated Arizona Sen. Mark Kelly, and Govs. Josh Shapiro of Pennsylvania and Roy Cooper of North Carolina were also asked to submit.
That list of candidates is not considered "exhaustive," meaning additional candidates could have been asked or will be asked in the near future. According to ABC News, Aug. 7 is not a deadline for the campaign despite that date marking the end of a planned virtual roll call.
The Associated Press also reported the same list of four names Tuesday.
Beshear appeals to Democrats for a variety of reasons, not the least of which is his success in a deep red state. He won reelection last year in a state Donald Trump carried by 26 points in 2020.
Beshear is one of the most popular governors in the country. A Morning Consult poll taken earlier this year showed a 65% approval rating.
He said Monday he loves his job and plans to finish his term as governor, but left the door open for a VP run.
"I think if someone calls you on that, you at least listen," Beshear said on MSNBC's Morning Joe.
Beshear appeared to be auditioning for the role Monday as he criticized JD Vance, Trump's running mate, numerous times on cable news. He said Vance "ain't from here," and spoke in-depth about Vance's depiction of Appalachia in his book, "Hillbilly Elegy."
"He claims to be from eastern Kentucky, writes a book about it to profit off our people. And then he calls us lazy," Beshear said on CNN. "This especially makes me angry about our people in eastern Kentucky. These are the hard-working coal miners who powered the industrial revolution. He calls them lazy and acts like he understands our culture and he's one of us. He's not. This is a guy who went out to Silicon Valley and trying to be an Every Man. He ain't one of us."
He also referred to Vance as "fake" and called him a "phony."