Cries for President Joe Biden to drop his reelection bid have politicos bracing for movement from the president as soon as this weekend. If he does step down, Vice President Kamala Harris is considered the favorite to replace him.
And while Biden hasn't announced anything yet, a future new Democratic Party ticket has already been speculated. Harris will need her own running mate.
Here are a few options for Harris if she takes the helm of the party, though there will be some notable omissions, including Govs. Gavin Newsom (D-CA) and Gretchen Whitmer (D-MI), who are reportedly not interested in being vice president.
Gov. Andy Beshear (D-KY)
The southern governor's name has been floated often as someone who could convince Republicans who are shaky about former President Donald Trump to vote for the Democratic ticket, given his history of capturing those votes in deep-red Kentucky.
He's viewed as a good counterbalance to Harris, who showed very progressive views as a California senator .
Former North Carolina Gov. Bev Perdue said Beshear fit the prototype of a “moderate, middle-of-the-road” Democrat unbeholden to the far Left.
“I do think he can be vice president,” she said.
Sen. Mark Kelly (D-AZ)
Kelly is the twice-elected senator of swing state Arizona who would bring his expertise and appeal as a veteran and former astronaut to the ticket if selected. Similar to Beshear, he's considered a more centrist Democrat who could expand Harris's voter base.
Kelly has routinely pushed for stronger border security measures, normally a strong part of the Republican platform, which could appeal to voters who don't think the Democratic Party cares enough about the border crisis.
Gov. Roy Cooper (D-NC)
Cooper is also similar to Beshear, more so than Kelly, given his status as a southern Democrat who found electoral success in a state that doesn't usually vote blue in the presidential election.
North Carolina has only voted for a Democrat once since 1980 but has been considered a swing state in the past few election cycles, which have been very closely contested. If North Carolina voters who feel Cooper represents them on the national level and vote for the ticket, he could be invaluable to its success.
He recently campaigned with Harris in North Carolina, saying, “I know she is a fighter, I know she gets the job done, and I know that she and Joe Biden need four more years to finish the job."
Gov. Josh Shapiro (D-PA)
Shapiro's state is also invaluable to a possible Democratic victory in November. He's also a rising star in the party who has cultivated his own popularity enough to be a candidate to replace Biden in his own right, which may affect his efforts to join Harris on the ticket.
Another complication is the fact Shapiro still has plenty of time to serve as his state's governor, given he was recently elected for the first time in 2022. But if these matters were overcome, Shapiro could offer his services as a moderate who has been able to work across party lines.
Because of Shapiro's popularity and how much time he has left serving his state, he could be the most unlikely pick for Harris's running mate.
Gov. JB Pritzker (D-IL)
Pritzker doesn't offer the bonuses other governors do. He isn't the governor of a swing state, and he's not as centrist as other Democratic governors, but he comes with his own outstanding personal wealth as a billionaire, which could serve Harris's campaign well.
He's a possible presidential replacement for Biden as well given his built-in campaign war chest, but has stuck by the president in public.
One undeniable appeal to Pritzker is that he is a midwestern governor who could relate to some of the blue wall states — Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota, and his home state of Illinois.
Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg
Buttigieg ran for president in 2020 and has been floated as a candidate to replace Biden as well. Unlike the others, Buttigieg already has a position within the Biden administration, which could make it easy for him to become vice president.
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He also likely has a working relationship with Harris that not many of the other vice presidential candidates do, and he is 42 years old, only three years older than Sen. J.D. Vance (R-OH), Trump's running mate.
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