Whitmer and Cooper out, a handful of potential VPs remain for Harris to choose from
A lot of names have been thrown around as potentials for Vice President Kamala Harris’ running mate in the week following President Joe Biden’s decision to step down from the top of the Democratic ticket in this November’s election.
From state governors to sitting U.S. Senators and even a member of the White House cabinet, each potential Vice Presidential nominee appears to have amassed their own supporters. Whoever her pick will be, they will likely meet former President Donald Trump’s selection for Vice President, Ohio Sen. JD Vance, in a debate.
Harris’ decision is anticipated to be imminent as the presumptive presidential nominee and her to-be-named running mate will reportedly tour battleground states as early as next week, according to Reuters.
With less than a month until the Democratic National Convention and just over seven days until the Aug. 7 virtual call, when delegates will cast their vote for the next Democratic presidential nominee and their running mate, here are the names that have risen to the top and those who have bowed out.
First, who is out of the running for Harris’ VP?
North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper: Cooper confirmed in a statement Monday night that he’s withdrawn himself from consideration to be Harris’ pick as vice president. The twice-elected 67-year-old governor, who also served as attorney general, was considered by Democrats as a strategic choice to secure a win in the Tarheel State for Harris.
Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer. Whitmer, rumored to be in the running for Vice President Kamala Harris’ potential ticket mate, told CBS Mornings on Monday that she has not been a part of the vetting process. Whitmer, co-chair of the Harris campaign, said she has communicated with everyone, including the people of Michigan, that she plans to remain governor until the end of her term in 2026.
Who is still in the running for Harris’ VP?
According to previous USA TODAY reporting, four contenders still in the running have received vetting materials from Harris’ campaign, and two who haven’t received materials remain under consideration.
U.S. Sen. Mark Kelly of Arizona. Kelly, 60, is a former astronaut and U.S. Navy captain. His political career began a few years ago when he flipped the seat held by former Arizona Sen. John McCain in a 2020 special election after McCain died from brain cancer in 2018. Kelly won reelection in 2022 and has been a centrist voice in Congress, criticizing the Biden Administration for its handling of immigration at the Southern border. Kelly also helped shape the CHIPS and Science Act.
Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro. Shapiro, 51, was elected governor of Pennsylvania in 2022, a “must-win” in the 2024 presidential race. His political career includes serving in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives from 2005 to 2011, as a Montgomery County commissioner from 2011 to 2017, and as the state’s attorney general from 2017 to 2023, where he built a reputation as a legal opponent of Trump in that role.
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz. Walz, 60, was a member of the Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party before he was elected governor in 2018. He won reelection in 2022. His pre-political background includes military service and a career in education. He joined the Army National Guard after graduating high school and taught and coached high school football. After he retired from the military in 2005, Walz represented Minnesota’s First Congressional District from 2006 to 2019.
Illinois Governor JB Pritzker, 59, was elected in 2018 and reelected in 2022. Before entering politics, he was a businessman and part of the family that owns the Hyatt hotel chain. As governor, Pritzker has focused on significant investments in infrastructure, worked on balancing the budget and improving the state’s credit rating. He’s also amassed a cult-like following on social media through the tongue-in-cheek X, formerly known as Twitter account, Nomadic Warriors for Pritzker.
Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear. Beshear, 46, was first elected governor of the Bluegrass State in 2018, and his current term ends in 2027. He served Kentucky as the commonwealth’s attorney general from 2016 to 2019. As a Democrat representing a reliably red state, Beshear said the party needs a “unifying message” to win in November. In 2019, he signed an executive order that restored the voting rights of more than 140,000 people convicted of a felony and had completed their sentences, effectively addressing one of the most extensive mechanisms of voter disenfranchisement in the commonwealth.
Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg. Buttigieg, 42, is the former mayor of South Bend, Indiana. He ran for the Democratic nomination for president in 2020 and nearly tied with Sen. Bernie Sanders in the Iowa Caucus before dropping out and endorsing Biden. He has since moved from Indiana to Michigan with his family. Buttigieg was appointed the Transportation Secretary for the Biden administration in 2021 and dealt with several national emergencies, including global supply chain disruptions, airline industry upheavals, and the train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio.
Joey Garrison, Maya Marchel Hoff, Rachel Barber, and Cy Neff from USA TODAY contributed to this report.
This article originally appeared on Staunton News Leader: Kamala Harris VP selection: Here's who's in and who's out
