After President Joe Biden announced that he would suspend his reelection campaign, his endorsement of Vice President Kamala Harris to succeed him has propelled her to being the most likely Democratic nominee. Now, the question is who her running mate will be.
Harris has a wide range of potential contenders from which to choose, and her decision will shape the direction of her campaign. She may decide to follow former President Barack Obama and find “her Biden,” a well-respected and well-established member of the political class, or she could take a risk and choose an up-and-coming voice.
Sen. Mark Kelly (D-AZ), Gov. Andy Beshear (D-KY), Gov. Josh Shapiro (D-PA), Gov. Roy Cooper (D-NC), and Gov. Wes Moore (D-MD) would all provide comfort to moderate voters who may view Harris as too far to the left. The momentum today is easily behind Shapiro, as he would help carry the critical swing state of Pennsylvania and perhaps ensure a victory in that state’s Senate election between incumbent Sen. Bob Casey (D-PA) and Republican challenger Dave McCormick.
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s (D-MI) selection would challenge the convention of having at least one man on the ticket, but could also provide a certain “girl power” gimmick. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg is popular among Democrats, but questions still remain about his relative lack of qualifications, as he went from being a relatively small-town mayor to a Cabinet member.
The final two options are the least likely to happen as they carry the highest risk, but they also would have the potential to bring the highest reward.
Gov. Jared Polis (D-CO) has been described as having “strong libertarian leanings,” and has a record of supporting school choice, advocating eliminating Colorado’s income tax, and lifting mask mandates earlier than most Democratic governors. In a vice presidential debate with Sen. J.D. Vance (R-OH), it is quite possible that Polis would talk about defending free markets while Vance would take the more traditionally progressive position. This would be a fascinating dynamic, but probably too unprecedented to happen.
Sen. Mitt Romney (R-UT), who has firmly established that he will not support former President Donald Trump in November, was proposed as a Democratic presidential nominee by movie director Aaron Sorkin in a New York Times opinion piece on Sunday. He is unlikely to want the job of vice president and unlikely to be considered (Biden once said Romney wanted to put black people “back in chains”), but a former Republican presidential contender would probably broaden Harris’s appeal more than anyone else.
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One of the bigger names that likely will not be up for consideration, however, is Gov. Gavin Newsom (D-CA), as he is from the same state as Harris and would do little to expand her voter base. However, the 2024 presidential election has entered uncharted territory, so completely bucking traditional wisdom may not be off the table.
Harris has the difficult task of reintroducing herself to voters, uniting a fractured party, and trying to win a presidential election. Selecting a popular running mate could make this job easier.
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