Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris has chosen Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as her running mate. But will there be a vice presidential debate?
This remains unclear.
At an event in South Philadelphia on Tuesday, Vance said he “definitely wants to debate” Walz, but only after Walz officially becomes the Democratic vice presidential nominee after their convention in Chicago later this month.
Last month, Donald Trump’s campaign declined to set three dates for the vice presidential debate proposed by then-Joe Biden’s campaign, citing the possibility that the president would end his reelection campaign. Biden ultimately decided to drop out of the race.
“We don’t know who the Democratic vice presidential nominee will be, so we can’t set a date before their convention,” Trump campaign senior adviser Brian Hughes said in a statement.
Although the Democratic National Convention is not scheduled to begin until August 19, Harris was officially nominated as the Democratic presidential candidate on Monday night via a roll call vote.
The vice presidential debate was scheduled for September 25 at Lafayette College in Easton, Pennsylvania, but the event was canceled.
If the two candidates do not meet, it will be the first election cycle without a vice presidential debate since 1980, when Republican presidential candidate George H. W. Bush and his Democratic opponent Walter Mondale declined to participate.
Kamala Harris and Donald Trump may not debate either
There may also be no next presidential debate. Trump withdrew from an ABC debate that, before Joe Biden withdrew from the race, was scheduled for Sept. 10. In its place, Trump has proposed a Fox News debate on Sept. 4 in Pennsylvania that would include a live audience.
“I will be there on September 10, as he agreed” Harris wrote on social media“I hope to see him there.”
Vance is scheduled to arrive in town Tuesday afternoon to address supporters at the 2300 Arena in South Philadelphia. Harris and Walz are scheduled to make their debut as running mates Tuesday night at the Liacouras Center in North Philadelphia. Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, who was passed over as Harris’ vice presidential running mate, will also be in attendance.