In a text message to supporters Tuesday afternoon, Joseph R. Biden Jr., the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, announced the choice that had taken him a long time to make: Kamala Harris is his running mate.
Ms. Harris, a Senator from California and Mr. Biden’s onetime rival for the Democratic nomination, is the first woman of color on a major party ticket.
Ms. Harris, who is known as a pragmatic and moderate Democrat, made the urgency of defeating President Trump a centerpiece of her run. She has been a strong voice on issues of police misconduct, but she has struggled on occasion to reconcile her calls for reform with her record as a prosecutor.
As a Californian, Ms. Harris is not bringing battleground state credentials to the ticket. But she is bringing appeal to Black voters and women, her supporters argued during Mr. Biden’s search for a running mate.
So how is the Biden-Harris ticket going to work? How will Ms. Harris appeal to swing voters — or to the voters who are swinging between voting Democratic or staying home? And how might she make her pitch next week, at the Democratic National Convention, virtual edition?
There’s a lot to discuss, and Times reporters are on top of all of it.
We’ll be talking about the Harris pick and battleground states, and taking your questions on all things 2020 here on Aug. 12 at 6 p.m. Eastern.
Join our reporters Alexander Burns, Nick Corasaniti, Astead Herndon and Patricia Mazzei for a conversation hosted by the editor Rachel Dry.
At one point in the 2020 presidential contest, 28 Democrats and four Republicans were in the running.
Now the field is down to two from 32: former Vice President Biden and President Trump.
Political reporters for The New York Times have been covering 2020 since the first potential candidates put out feelers in 2018.
They can’t predict the future, but they can explain what is most likely to make a definitive difference in the presidential race — including the crucial battleground states, the swing voters really worth fighting for, the surprises October might hold and how the coronavirus crisis affects it all.
And they can explain all of that in conversation with you.
Join the Politics team for our series of free live events on the 2020 election:
We’ll have insights and analysis from Times reporters on the pandemic-modified campaign trail, special guests and some breaking news events, too.
Until then, get caught up with Times coverage of the 2020 candidates, Mr. Biden and Mr. Trump, and follow along with the latest campaign news and updates here.
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You can watch our latest event below, about the unconventional convention season, featuring our reporters, along with an interview with Julián Castro, the former 2020 candidate, about giving a career-defining speech in the bright lights of a convention hall.