Until the weekend, Harris herself was the Democrats’ number two in the race for the White House. Now she is expected to move up to first place – and must find a running mate.
US Vice President Kamala Harris wants to become the Democratic presidential candidate following the withdrawal of US President Joe Biden. This frees up her previous role in the election campaign – she now needs a vice-candidate of her own. Who could she bring to her side for the election on November 5? It would be tactically clever if Harris were to choose a running mate from a contested state. So-called swing states are states that are not firmly assigned to either the Republicans or the Democrats in the election. But nothing has been decided yet. An overview of the names that are being discussed:
1. Gretchen Whitmer
The 52-year-old is governor of the state of Michigan. Michigan is a swing state. Whitmer’s name was also mentioned in connection with the search for a successor to Biden. Now she has thrown her support behind Harris. The lawyer has had a long career in politics. In the 2020 presidential election, she was on Biden’s shortlist as his running mate. Because of her relatively strict corona policy, she has become the enemy of many Republicans. It also made headlines that several men were arrested in 2020 who had planned to kidnap her.
2. Josh Shapiro
The 51-year-old has been governor of Pennsylvania since 2023 – also a swing state. Before that, he was attorney general in the state. That means he is relatively new to the national political stage. Shapiro is considered to be rather moderate and is very popular. He has been considered for higher office for some time. After Biden’s withdrawal, he quickly threw his support behind Harris.
3. Gavin Newsom
The 56-year-old governor of the liberal US state of California has had his eye on the White House for some time. His name was also mentioned with a view to Biden’s successor. He is considered eloquent and well-connected and was once mayor of San Francisco. His ex-wife Kimberly Guilfoyle is engaged to Donald Trump Jr. – the son of Republican challenger Donald Trump. He has also now pledged his support to Harris. His big disadvantage is that, like Harris, he comes from California.
4. Pete Buttigieg
Buttigieg caused a sensation in 2020 as a candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination. Today, the 42-year-old is Secretary of Transportation in Biden’s cabinet, making him the first openly gay federal minister in the USA. However, his performance in the office has been criticized so far. When a train carrying toxic chemicals derailed in East Palestine, Ohio, a year and a half ago, Buttigieg reacted very late. Republican Trump used this to hold a sensational campaign event in the affected town.
5. Andy Beshear
The 46-year-old is the governor of the state of Kentucky. In the state, people usually vote for the Republican candidate in presidential elections. According to the Washington Post, Beshear has a “fascinating bipartisan appeal.” Before becoming governor, Beshear was the state’s attorney general. Beshear’s father was also governor of Kentucky.
6. JB Pritzker
The 59-year-old is the governor of Illinois – a state that is firmly in the hands of the Democrats. The billionaire comes from a wealthy family. The lawyer has invested in tech start-ups and is considered to be well connected. He has invested considerable sums of his own money in his election campaigns. However, he is not particularly well known nationally.
7. Joe Manchin
The senator from the conservative state of West Virginia turned his back on the Democrats a few months ago and registered as an independent. The Democrats considered him a troublemaker and torpedoed some of Biden’s legislative plans. After Biden’s withdrawal, the 76-year-old made it clear that he did not want to run as an independent candidate in the presidential race. Manchin has a wealth of political experience. However, it is difficult to imagine such a conservative running mate at Harris’ side – but it could also bring advantages for some groups of voters.
8. Mark Kelly
The 60-year-old Kelly, a former astronaut, has already won the Senate seat in the state of Arizona twice – a huge success for the Democrats. Arizona is also an important contested state in the presidential election. Kelly is also known to Americans because he is the husband of former congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords. She has struggled to get back to life after an assassination attempt in 2011 and is one of the loudest campaigners for stricter gun laws.
Source: Stern
I have been working in the news industry for over 6 years, first as a reporter and now as an editor. I have covered politics extensively, and my work has appeared in major newspapers and online news outlets around the world. In addition to my writing, I also contribute regularly to 24 Hours World.
