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With President Biden’s announcement that he will not run for re-election in November, all eyes have turned to his replacement. Many top Democrats, including Biden, have endorsed Vice-President Kamala Harris, leading to increased scrutiny over who she might pick as a running mate.
The Democrat party will be looking for a vice-president (VP) candidate who can pull in young people and moderates, appeal to suburbanites and win over voters in key battleground states. With a woman running for president, the party will also need a VP candidate who can appeal to men, since in 2020 men favoured Trump by a narrow margin.
Democrats will want to balance the ticket in terms of Harris’ bold stances on reproductive rights and gun control, which the right is already casting as “extreme”. Most importantly, if Harris runs for president, she’ll need a running mate that can help calm the general unrest that has simmered across the nation over the past four years.
Here are five of the top contenders and what they reveal about the new Democratic strategy:
1. Josh Shapiro
Pennsylvania governor Josh Shapiro is rumoured to be the top pick to join Harris on the Democrat ticket. He’s young, a good communicator and would help Harris capture voters in Pennsylvania, a key battleground state. In his speech after the recent shooting at a Trump rally in his home state, he showed that he can bridge the divide with Republicans. However, he’s also been vocally pro-Israel since the Hamas attack on October 7 2023, which could turn off young voters aged 18-24, a crucial demographic in this election.
2. Mark Kelly
Mark Kelly, former astronaut, naval captain and Arizona senator is another contender. He is a fresh face not closely tied to the current administration, which will rally voters who feel disillusioned with the Democratic party under Biden’s leadership. Kelly’s tough stance on immigration – which is becoming a cornerstone issue in the election – will appeal to moderates and Black voters, both demographics the Democrats want to capture. Kelly also strongly supports gun restrictions, after his wife, former Representative Gabrielle Giffords was shot in an assassination attempt in 2011. This position is likely to draw critique from moderates if he runs alongside Harris.
3. Roy Cooper
North Carolina is another important battleground state and putting Democratic governor Roy Cooper on the ticket would be advantageous on several fronts. Cooper, a moderate, has a successful track record of winning and a relatively high approval rating as a liberal in a southern swing state. He also provides a stable, steady presence, which is necessary in America’s highly polarised and fractured political climate. As an older white man, he may attract the same male voters who supported Biden in 2020, and who Harris needs to win over.
4. Andy Beshear
Andy Beshear, the 46-year-old governor of Kentucky, a conservative state, would be an excellent foil for Trump’s running mate JD Vance. Both are from Kentucky and appeal to working class voters, a group that Harris will need to woo, as an upper middle-class Californian who will be portrayed as part of the country’s liberal elite. Beshear is an outspoken Christian, which will endear him to America’s large Christian population. However, Beshear is relatively unknown, and Kentucky isn’t a battleground state, making him a less likely candidate for vice president.
5. Gavin Newsom
Gavin Newsom, the young hotshot governor of California, has made a name for himself by enshrining abortion rights, prioritising environmental protection policies and protecting transgender rights. Newsom ranked closely behind Harris on a recent YouGov poll on potential presidential replacements, demonstrating his popularity. Although considered a moderate by California standards, Newsom’s policies are far too liberal to capture moderate voters and two Californians on the ticket would exclude crucial middle America voters.
Katie Gaddini does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
