Will Harris select a Heartland leader to fill VP slot?
With the announcement that President Joe Biden will no longer seek reelection and his formal endorsement of Vice President Kamala Harris to succeed him, American politics has entered an unprecedented situation. With just 106 days before the presidential election, Harris is going into overdrive to launch a campaign. And her running mate, according to the D.C. rumor mill, could very well come from the country's heartland.
Potential vice-presidential picks that have been floated include Democratic governors like Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker, Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper and Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro.
Other options reportedly being considered are Sen. Mark Kelly (D-AZ) and Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg.
During an interview with MSNBC, Cooper acknowledged he spoke with Harris on Sunday.
“It went great,” Cooper said. “We talked about winning this race.” Cooper was, however, unwilling to speculate about his potential selection: “I appreciate people talking about me, but I think the focus right now needs to be on her this week.”
Beshear made similar remarks during his appearance on cable news today.
“I don’t know how that process is gonna be, but it’s flattering to be a part of it,” Beshear said. "The only way I would consider something other than this current job is if I believed I could further help my people and to help this country."
Consideration of who will be paired with Harris may be partially influenced by the current nature of the presidential race. Swing states like Wisconsin, Michigan, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Georgia, Arizona and Nevada will more or less decide who will command the executive branch. As such, leaders like Shapiro, Kelly, Beshear and Cooper may have the edge.
Beshear could be an asset for winning over Southern voters and is one of the most popular governors in the country, as recent polling shows. Meanwhile, Shapiro has the support of around a third of the Trump voters in his state.
Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer would have also fit that bill, but she announced today she had no plans of leaving her post.
“I’m not planning to go anywhere,” Whitmer said “I am not leaving Michigan; I'm proud to be the governor of Michigan.” Another high-profile option, Gov. Gavin Newsom, would be constitutionally ineligible to run, as Article II states the president and vice president cannot be from the same state.