After President Joe Biden dropped out of the presidential race and endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris, all eyes are on her as she becomes the most likely candidate to succeed Biden as the nominee.
So far, she’s received endorsements from Biden, 60 representatives, including prominent ones like former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, 25 senators, and a number of governors. However, former President Barack Obama is still holding off on giving Harris his support.
Her campaign raised $49.6 million in 24 hours, according to a spokesperson.
Shortly after Biden withdrew his bid from the 2024 election Sunday afternoon, Harris issued a statement saying she intends “to earn and win this nomination.”
“I will do everything in my power to unite the Democratic Party — and unite our nation — to defeat Donald Trump and his extreme Project 2025 agenda,” Harris said.
Should Harris win the nomination, here are a few potential candidates who could be her running mate.
Gov. Andy Beshear
Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, 46, is being vetted as a candidate to be Harris’ running mate, according to several reports. Despite being loyal to Biden, the red-state governor urged Biden to talk to voters honestly after the debate.
In an appearance on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” Monday, Beshear said he backed Harris and did not have plans to seek the Democratic presidential nomination.
“The vice president is smart and strong, which will make her a good president,” the two-term governor said. “The contrast between her and those running on the other side couldn’t be clearer.”
Asked if he would consider being Harris’ running mate, Beshear said, “If somebody calls you on that, what you do is at least listen,” adding he likes his gubernatorial duties. “I want the American people to know what Kentucky is and what they look like. Because let me just tell you that JB Vance ain’t from here,” he said, referring to former President Donald Trump’s running mate.
“The nerve that he has to call the people of Kentucky, of Eastern Kentucky, ‘lazy,’” Beshear continued. “Listen, these are the hardworking coal miners that powered the Industrial Revolution, that created the strongest middle class the world has ever seen, that powered us through two world wars. We should be thanking them. Not calling them lazy.”
Beshear hasn’t made his aspirations public. He told The Associated Press he would only leave his governorship post if he felt he “could help the commonwealth even more through some other opportunity.”
Gov. Roy Cooper
North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper, 67, has also demurred all questions related to the presidential race but offered Harris his endorsement on Sunday.
“Kamala Harris should be the next President. I’ve known (her) going back to our days as AGs, and she has what it takes to defeat Donald Trump and lead our country thoughtfully and with integrity. I look forward to campaigning for her as we work to win NC up and down the ticket,” he said in a social media post.
Cooper is limited from seeking election, but should he leave office to campaign alongside Harris, his Republican lieutenant governor will be in charge. Chris Cooper, a political science professor at Western Carolina University, said, the North Carolina governor won’t have to resign to be Harris’ running mate.
“American politics is littered with examples of people holding office while they’re running for other offices,” the professor said.
In an interview on CNN, former Democratic National Committee chairman Howard Dean threw his support behind the Harris-Cooper ticket, saying, “I think we would pick up North Carolina as a result.” The state flipped red for former President Donald Trump in 2020.
Gov. Josh Shapiro
Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, 51, enjoys popularity in his state, key to a Democratic victory. But his weakness is his lack of experience; the moderate governor was elected to office two years ago.
After the assassination attempt on Trump last weekend, Shapiro was thrust into the spotlight to unify the country. He gave a heartfelt tribute to Corey Comperatore, who was killed at the rally, and exuded leadership in a time of tragedy. Shapiro described Comperatore as a “fellow Pennsylvanian” who was a firefighter, as NBC News reported.
“I’ve known Kamala Harris for nearly two decades — we’ve both been prosecutors, we’ve both stood up for the rule of law, we’ve both fought for the people and delivered results,” Shapiro said in his endorsement.
At a press conference Thursday, Shapiro danced around the question about whether he will resign as governor in pursuit of the White House.
“Look, I love serving as governor and I’ve made clear where I stand on the presidential race. It’s the president’s decision to make, and he’s made it,” Shapiro said.
But he has endorsed Harris, saying the two have known each other for nearly two decades. “We’ve both stood up for the rule of law, we’ve both fought for the people and delivered results,” Shapiro said in his endorsement.
Other options
California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s name has also been floated, and while he is a popular Democrat, he and Harris are from the same state, which is complicated because of language in the U.S. Constitution. On Sunday night, Newsom indicated he won’t challenge Harris.
He’s also from a state already under Democratic control, as are other potential contenders, including Govs. Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan, Jared Polis of Colorado and J.B. Pritzker of Illinois.
Whitmer said she also won’t challenge Harris. “I know everyone is suspicious and have been asking this question over and over again ... I’m not going anywhere,” the governor told Lansing WLNS TV-6. She said she will co-chair the Harris campaign.
Michigan political strategist Andrea Bitely told Axios she guesses Harris’ running mate will be “a Midwestern man.”
Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren is another option. She ran in the presidential Democratic primary in 2020.
Axios reported Arizona U.S. Sen. Mark Kelly, a combat veteran and former astronaut, is also being considered.
“I think the reality of this situation is that President Biden and Kamala Harris are our nominees,” Kelly said on MSNBC on July 17.
“We’ve got to make sure that we work as hard as possible, not make any mistakes here. And if we do that, I’m confident that Joe Biden and Kamala Harris can be re-elected.”