VP Harris to pick running mate
She has a short list of around 9-10 possible choices
WASHINGTON (Gray DC) - Now that Vice President Kamala Harris has secured the support from convention delegates to lock up her party’s nomination, attention now turns to what will be her biggest decision to date - choosing a running mate.
Choosing a running mate is one of the biggest decisions a Presidential nominee can make. And with just 105 days until election day, the Vice President is rumoured to be narrowing down her short list from what Democrats call a deep bench of contenders.
Vice President Harris – campaigning Tuesday in the battleground state of Wisconsin is expected to look to increase her electoral prospects by choosing a running mate that could more easily put a competitive state in the Democrats’ column. Marcus Mason is a member of the Democratic National Committee.
“And the most important thing about the president and vice president, nominee and partnership is a level of trust. Joe Biden trusted Kamala Harris implicitly. Barack Obama trusted Joe Biden implicitly. And so that level of trust that is built amongst two people, two principals at that level, you have to have it in order for the partnership or marriage to work.”
Several Democratic governors could provide a boost to the Harris Campaign.
Two-term North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper is term limited and experts say could help flip the southern swing state from red to blue in November. At 67, he’s the oldest and most experienced of the VP hopefuls.
Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear has twice proven that he can win in a red state. But the 46-year-old is unlikely to help Democrats carry the state in the fall.
51-year-old Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro has high approval ratings. He’s a moderate who could help deliver this must-win state and could have some appeal in other rust-belt states.
There’s only one Senator is on the short list. 60-year-old Arizona Senator Mark Kelly has won 2 state-wide elections in this sunbelt state. The former astronaut and naval aviator could have broad appeal for his unconventional background. His wife, former congresswoman Gabby Gifford, is an outspoken supporter of gun legislation having survived an assassination attempt during a mass shooting.
Harris has little time to make a decision, with the Democratic National Convention set to begin in less than four weeks. Whoever Harris chooses must hit the ground running. Polls show the Republican ticket of Donald Trump and JD Vance with a narrow lead nationally and also in key battleground states.
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