Following President Joe Biden’s announcement that he would not be seeking reelection, speculation about his replacement on the ticket quickly grew.
Vice President Kamala Harris was swiftly backed by Biden to succeed him, and a wave of well-known Democrats immediately followed suit around the nation. The delegates of the party at the national convention in Chicago next month will eventually decide on the next Democratic nominee.
However, Harris will require a running mate if she succeeds in uniting the party behind her.
Regarding the person she might consider a running mate, she has not made any public statements. However, the following are some of the most well-liked names Democrats have suggested Harris run for vice president:
Gov. Andy Beshear of Kentucky
Beshear, 46, carries with her a generational shift and all the electoral advantages of a Southern Democrat who has triumphed in a conservative state on a platform of reproductive rights.
After Beshear won reelection in Kentucky in November by 5 percentage points—a state that Biden had lost by 26 points in 2020—he became the talk of the country.
His success was primarily due to the distinctive brand he developed in Kentucky’s ruby red state. By emphasizing local issues, he successfully distanced himself from the national party. He made a point of praising the state’s economic development and his handling of natural calamities, such as destructive floods. He also supported health care, education, and most importantly, the right to an abortion.
Beshear supported Harris for the presidency on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” program on Monday. When asked if he would consider running for office, he said, “I would only think about leaving my current position if I thought I could do more to support my people and this nation.” This made him a possible running mate.
Pete Buttigieg, the secretary of transportation
Buttigieg, 42, stunned primary voters with his above-average intelligence, compelling personal narrative, and persuasive oratory skills, propelling him to the top of the Democratic Party’s crowded 2020 presidential field.
The former mayor of South Bend, Indiana, Buttigieg, defeated far more seasoned opponents to win the Iowa caucuses, but he had trouble winning over voters of color. As a result, he withdrew from the campaign to support Biden, which helped unite the opposition behind him. Buttigieg has been one of Biden’s most prominent and competent surrogates during the administration; he frequently appears on television to discuss the administration’s positions, particularly with regard to transportation policy.
The openly gay former Navy veteran Buttigieg is raising twins with his spouse Chasten, a left-wing cultural icon in his own right. Buttigieg has been believed to be pursuing higher office in other places, such Michigan, where Chasten is from, given the conservative leanings of his home state of Indiana.
In a statement, Buttigieg supported Harris and claimed that Biden is “one of the most influential and successful presidents in American history.”
Gov. Roy Cooper of North Carolina
Cooper, 67, would add political crossover appeal and a Southern Democrat with a proven winning record to the ticket. When Trump captured North Carolina in the presidential election, he prevailed in both of his gubernatorial contests.
Under his leadership as governor, Cooper has stood up for the right to an abortion in a state where Republicans control the majority of the legislature. Although he has vetoed a number of anti-abortion laws, the Legislature has overturned some of them, such as a ban that went into effect in July 2023 on abortions performed at or about 12 weeks of pregnancy. He has also given Medicaid expansion a lot of attention; last year, after Republican lawmakers backed the idea and pushed it through both houses, he signed the legislation.
Cooper has occasionally revealed very little about his interest in higher office. “I have a strong passion for serving the public, and I believe I still have more to give. After I leave office, I’ll explore my possibilities,” he stated in a March interview with NBC News.
Term constraints prevented Cooper from running for reelection this year, but he backed Harris in a post on X following Biden’s withdrawal.
Senator Mark Kelly of Arizona
Sen. Mark Kelly, a Democrat from Arizona, has won twice on a statewide level in the typically conservative but fiercely competitive state. In 2020, a year in which narrow margins determined Congress’s power, he prevailed in a special election to the Senate. In 2022, he triumphed once more, bucking Republican predictions of a red wave in the wake of a Democratic president’s midterm elections.
Kelly is a pragmatist and former astronaut whose political acumen has drawn attention. He has focused on regional concerns in the Senate, such as microchip production and water conservation. He is the spouse of former Arizona representative Gabby Giffords, a Democrat who was shot in 2011 and has since embarked on an inspirational journey that has seen her rise to prominence as a gun safety champion. Insiders close to the Republican Party have bemoaned in private that Kelly is a stick with voters.
The GOP may find it difficult to unite around a candidate like him. Additionally, Kelly has successfully navigated the rift between progressives and moderates in Arizona that plagued her fellow senator, Kyrsten Sinema, a Democrat who is resigning after one term as an independent.
In a statement released on Sunday, Kelly supported Harris to challenge Biden at the top of the ticket.
Gov. Wes Moore of Maryland
Prior to launching his candidacy for governor, Moore, a 45-year-old Rhodes Scholar and combat veteran of the Army was unknown in politics. However, he became the third Black governor ever elected thanks to his 32 percentage-point victory, personal narrative (his father passed away when he was a young boy, causing him to move about and become unstable), and youth.
Although Moore’s name has been mentioned as a prospective 2028 candidate, it’s likely that Democrats find his life narrative and electoral achievements too alluring to ignore at this time.
Despite having less experience than most of the other individuals on this list, Moore rose to prominence in the disaster response field after a bridge collapsed in Baltimore.
Moore supported Harris in a message that was uploaded on X on Monday.
Gov. Gavin Newsom of California
The 56-year-old Newsom and Harris have a long history dating back to their time growing up in San Francisco politics together. Despite being only three years apart in age, they have had similar career paths and have shared a number of important donors and advisers over the years. This experience has led to both allies and rivalries at times, with Newsom being perceived as slightly to Harris’ left politically.
When Harris served as San Francisco’s district attorney, Newsom served as mayor. In 2010, when she was elected attorney general and Newsom was elected lieutenant governor, they were both elected to statewide offices.
Fundamentally a people person, Newsom is a driven and aspirational political operator who relies on extensive networks of affluent backers from Silicon Valley, Hollywood, and California’s wine region. Prior to entering politics, he established a specialized winery alongside a billionaire heir to the Getty family, who are the sponsors of one of Los Angeles’ most prestigious art museums. As a progressive leader, he has gained a sizable national following in more recent times.
However, the fact that he and Harris are both from California may also provide a legal challenge, as the Constitution requires that the president and vice president be citizens of separate states.
Newsom gave Harris his support on Sunday night.
Governor of Illinois, JB Pritzker
Pritzker,59, traveled to battleground states as a surrogate for Biden throughout his active campaign. In order to promote abortion rights and counter radicalism, he established the nonprofit organization Think Big America, concentrating on states that are considered battlegrounds.
Popular in the state and serving a second term as governor, Pritzker has been vocal in defending women’s reproductive rights and promoting Illinois as a model state for women seeking healthcare access. Pritzker has ratified a number of progressive laws, such as those that outlaw assault rifles, ghost guns, and switches; raise the minimum wage; codify abortion rights into legislation; and legalize marijuana and erase records. He has made investments in early childhood education and is pushing for the state to implement universal preschool.
After persistent lobbying, Pritzker was able to secure his state’s hosting of the 2024 Democratic National Convention, demonstrating his significant political acumen. Most people believe that Pritzker will run for president in the future. He is in a position to enter a national campaign with ease and an abundance of resources because he is a millionaire who has previously funded his own campaigns.
Pritzker gave Harris his support on Monday.
Governor of Pennsylvania Josh Shapiro
The 51-year-old Shapiro has a strong track record of defeating previous Democrats contesting in Pennsylvania, one of the most important swing states. Shapiro defeated Biden in his landslide victory in the 2020 election for governor and defeated Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton in the fall of the same year when he ran for attorney general.
During a high-profile investigation into sexual abuse in the Catholic Church and his effort to defend his state’s election following the 2020 vote against former President Donald Trump, Shapiro first gained national attention in his capacity as state attorney general. As he deals with the aftermath of the attempted assassination of Trump, which happened in his state, he may be facing the most significant moment of his political career.
Compared to other Democrats, he received a comparatively high degree of support from Republicans during his 2022 campaign, and he continues to enjoy respectable cross-party acceptance ratings.
Shapiro declared on Sunday that he supports Harris for the presidency in a statement.
Georgia Senator Raphael Warnock
Prior to entering the national political sphere, Warnock, 54, served as the pastor of Atlanta’s Ebenezer Baptist Church, where he had the privilege of speaking from the pulpit of one of America’s most illustrious churches, Martin Luther King Jr.
Ever since, he has faced several electoral challenges in a crucial battleground state. Since 2020, Warnock has appeared on ballots five times: twice in general elections, twice in runoffs, and once in a Democratic primary. Each time, he has emerged victorious.
He was the first Black senator to be elected from Georgia, and his inclusion on the national ticket would probably galvanize Black Americans who, according to polls, had been drifting away from Biden.
However, if Warnock were to run for president and win, Democrats would lose the Senate seat, which is a significant disadvantage of his departure. According to Georgia law, the Republican governor, Brian Kemp, would select a replacement, and it would be inevitable that he would select another Republican, further undermining the Democrats’ chances of holding onto their slim majority.
Warnock released a statement on Sunday night stating that he was “proud to endorse” Harris.
Governor of Minnesota Tim Walz
The 60-year-old Walz, a two-term governor of Minnesota, may aid the Democratic ticket in bolstering support in the upper Midwest, where the election of 2024 will be decided in large part by the electoral votes from the so-called “blue wall” of Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, and Michigan.
Additionally, Walz’s inclusion on the ticket might encourage more progressive voters to join the fold. In his tenure as the state’s top official, Walz has pushed a long list of progressive initiatives, including as limiting access to firearms, legalizing marijuana for recreational use, and defending abortion rights. This track record is expected to bolster the ticket’s liberal credentials.
In a statement on Sunday night, Walz commended Biden; he has not yet addressed Harris’ campaign, though.
Governor of Michigan Gretchen Whitmer
The 52-year-old Whitmer would put a Midwestern governor on the ballot; she emerged as a Trump foil and was easily re-elected to a second term. She was on stage when Biden introduced himself as a “bridge” to Whitmer and other younger leaders in 2020 at a Detroit event. Eventually, she made it onto his vice president shortlist.
Whitmer’s criticism of the federal approach in the early stages of the Covid epidemic infuriated Trump. He mockingly referred to her as “the woman from Michigan.” Men who were upset about her Covid shutdowns attempted to kidnap her, but the FBI foiled their plan later in 2020.
Whitmer is renowned for his vivid words and folksiness as well. The catchphrase for her initial run for governor was “Fix the damn roads!” The name of her political action committee is Fight Like Hell. Additionally, she has accepted the moniker “Big Gretch,” which was made popular by a rapper from Detroit.
Whitmer declared that she will not seek the presidency this year. She gave Harris her support in a Monday statement.