7 Possible Running Mates For A Potential Kamala Harris Presidential Campaign

President Joe Biden’s decision to drop his re-election bid and endorse Vice President Kamala Harris means Democrats have to choose a running mate for Harris, assuming she wins the Democratic nomination for president.

Here are six of the most likely candidates ― at least according to political analysts ― plus one wild card.

With two exceptions, they’re all statewide office holders in potential swing states, meaning they could help Democrats pick up a chunk of electoral college votes from the voters who know them best. They’re also all white, and are mostly men, reflecting a conventional wisdom that it might be smart politics to have demographic balance on a ticket led by Harris, a Black and Asian-American woman.

One name not on the list: California Gov. Gavin Newsom, who shares a home state for Harris. Under the Constitution, electors from California would not be able to vote for both Harris and Newsom, and both would definitely need California’s 54 electoral votes to hit the 270-vote mark.

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer

Whitmer, 52, has been the governor of Michigan since 2019, and previously served in the Michigan Senate and as a local prosecutor. Her sweeping reelection victory in 2022, built on a relentless focus on protecting abortion rights, resulted in total Democratic control of state government for the first time in decades.

That made her a darling of Democratic operatives, who think she could replicate her campaign on a national level. And of course, she could bring with her votes in Michigan, a crucial swing state for Democrats.

The big question facing her potential selection: Would the party, still scarred by Hillary Clinton’s loss in 2016, nominate two women on the same ticket?

Pennsylvania Gov. Josh