The names being floated as Kamala Harris' running mate now that Biden has dropped out
Joe Biden endorsed Kamala Harris on Sunday after dropping out of the presidential race.
Harris would likely choose a relatively moderate white man as her running mate.
A few governors, two from swing states, are emerging as favorites, sources told The New York Times.
Shortly after he announced he was dropping out of the 2024 presidential race, President Joe Biden endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris as his replacement. Should Harris become the Democratic nominee — a likely but not guaranteed outcome — she would probably choose a moderate white man as her running mate, two people close to the Biden-Harris camp told The New York Times.
Harris would become the first Black and Asian American female presidential nominee of a major party and a running mate who looks like nearly all former US presidents would likely temper the jolt to the status quo in this age of identity politics.
People close to the Biden-Harris campaign told the Times that Govs. Roy Cooper of North Carolina, Andy Beshear of Kentucky, and Josh Shapiro of Pennsylvania are emerging as candidates, as is Arizona Sen. Mark Kelly.
Gov. Roy Cooper of North Carolina
A Southern moderate, Cooper has worked alongside North Carolina's Republican-led legislature since winning a tough battle for the governorship in 2016.
Before serving as governor, Cooper was the state's attorney general for nearly 16 years. He met Harris when she was the attorney general in California during that time. Some Democrats think North Carolina is up for grabs in November and that Cooper could help flip the state.
Gov. Andy Beshear of Kentucky
As the governor of Kentucky, Beshear doesn't offer the same opportunity to turn a red state blue. He did, however, attract some attention after winning another term in deep-red Kentucky last year. Beshear also served as attorney general before his governorship, giving him an additional point of connection to Harris.
Gov. Josh Shapiro of Pennsylvania
Shapiro has something that the White House sorely lacks at the moment: good polling numbers. A January poll found he had a higher approval rating than other recent Pennsylvania governors, with 59% approving of his performance. Pennsylvania is a key swing state, and Shapiro's popularity could help tip the scales in Democrats' favor.
Sen. Mark Kelly of Arizona
Kelly has defied expectations by winning two races in historically red Arizona: once in a special election for the Senate seat in 2020 and again in 2022, when a red wave was expected under the Biden administration.
A Harris-Kelly ticket could be persuasive for a battleground state like Arizona, where Biden won with less than 11,000 votes.
Gov. JB Pritzker of Illinois
Currently serving his second term as governor, Pritzker is a rising Democratic star with a proven ability to defend reproductive rights and wage pointed attacks against Trump. On top of that, he happens to be a billionaire who could help finance a campaign. Prior to becoming governor, Pritzker was a well-known figure in the Democratic fundraising world.
Illinois, however, is not a swing state, meaning Pritzker doesn't bring the same potential electoral bump as some other candidates.
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan
Whitmer won the 2022 gubernatorial race by almost 11 points, an impressive feat in the crucial swing state of Michigan. She's popular at home and a fierce advocate for reproductive rights. Should Harris choose her as a running mate, the two would be the first all-female ticket for a major party, which some Democrats think is too risky in this year's election.
Whitmer said on Monday that she does not have interest in becoming the vice president and instead plans to stay in Michigan.
Gov. Gavin Newsom of California
Newsom and Harris go way back, as they ascended through San Francisco politics together and shared some crucial advisors. Since becoming governor in 2019, he has become well-known in Democratic circles and was a staunch advocate for Biden.
Yet for all his proven chops and charm, Newsom faces a huge hurdle: he, like Harris, is from California. Under the 12th Amendment, the president and vice president "shall not be an inhabitant of the same state with themselves." Should Harris pick Newsom as her number two, the pair would give up all of California's 54 Electoral College votes.
Gov. Wes Moore of Maryland
A best-selling author, Rhodes Scholar, veteran, former CEO, and governor, Moore has a studded resume. He won his 2022 gubernatorial race by a whopping 32 percentage points to become the third elected Black governor.
Despite his impressive background, Moore has relatively little experience in elected office and seemingly little enthusiasm about the job. When reporters asked him on Monday about the prospect of becoming the vice president, he said, "I have no interest in the job."
Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg
Buttigieg ran against Biden for the Democratic nomination in 2020, but has since become one of the administration's most adept, loyal surrogates. A Rhodes scholar and navy veteran, Buttigieg is also the first openly gay person to be confirmed in a president's cabinet.
During the 2020 primary, Buttigieg struggled to gain support from voters of color, a key voting bloc in this year's election.
This story was originally published on July 9. It has been updated in light of Biden's announcement that he is withdrawing from the presidential race.
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