The Democrats who could be Kamala Harris' running mate — or challenge her for the nomination

After President Joe Biden announced that he’d end his re-election campaign, attention immediately turned to who will replace him on the ticket.

Biden endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris to succeed him as the Democratic nominee, but the decision ultimately rests with the party's delegates at the national convention in Chicago next month.

That means an array of scenarios could unfold. Harris could quickly unify the party behind her and would be in need of a running mate. Or any number of Democrats could run for the presidential nomination in what is now an open process.

So far, only Harris has said she will run for president, and she hasn’t said anything publicly about whom she would consider as a running mate. But here are some of the top names Democrats have floated as potential Harris vice presidential contenders or challengers:

Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear

Beshear, 46, brings to the ticket all the political benefits of a Southern Democrat who has won convincingly in a conservative state on a pro-reproductive-rights message, as well as a generation shift.

Beshear entered the national conversation following his re-election victory in Kentucky in November, when he by 5 percentage points a state that Biden had lost by 26 points in 2020.

His win was largely the product of the unique brand he built in ruby red Kentucky, effectively separating himself from the national party by focusing on state issues. Prominently, he touted the state’s economic progress and his response to natural disasters, including devastating floods. At the same time, he leaned into health care and education — and most heavily his support for abortion rights.

Beshear endorsed Harris for president during an appearance on MSNBC's "Morning Joe" on