US President Joe Biden announced on Sunday that he would end his re-election campaign by endorsing Vice President Kamala Harris to replace him as the Democratic Party’s nominee for the November 5 election.
Harris has not yet been officially nominated, but if she is nominated during the Democratic National Convention in Chicago from August 19 to 22, she will need a running mate.
Historically, vice presidents are chosen to complement the presidential candidate, and strategists believe that is why The chosen one could be a white man from one of the swing states or pendulum statesalso called “hinge” or “purple” voters, who do not have a defined voting pattern and could end up leaning towards one party or the other.
These are the names being considered as possible nominees.
Josh Shapiro, Governor of Pennsylvania
Democrat Josh Shapiro has enjoyed high approval ratings since being elected governor of Pennsylvania in 2022, a swing state that Republican Donald Trump narrowly won in the 2016 presidential election.
Shapiro, who previously served as state attorney general, has worked without getting entangled in partisan positions during his term.
Last year he made national headlines after he managed to quickly rebuild a bridge that collapsed in a Philadelphia’s crucial highwaya major political victory for a first-term governor.
The quick repair was praised by many and highlighted as a perfect infrastructure issue to boost a 2028 presidential hopeful.
Following news of Biden’s decision not to seek re-election, Shapiro said Biden has been “one of the most important presidents in modern history” and that he would do “everything I can to help elect Kamala Harris as the 47th president of the United States.”
Andy Beshear, Governor of Kentucky
Beshear has carved out a successful career as the Democratic leader of Kentucky, a deeply Republican state.
He first ran for office in 2019 and was re-elected in 2023, campaigning on key issues for the party such as support for public education and protection of reproductive rights.
His popularity in Kentucky is crucial, given that the state voted for Trump by a margin of more than 25 percentage points in 2020.
At 46 years old, Beshear is also one of the youngest governors in the country.
His name had already been considered as a possible Democratic presidential candidate for the 2028 elections.
But now, with Biden out of the race for the November election, Beshear could seek a White House post much sooner.
Mark Kelly, Senator from Arizona
Former astronaut and war veteran Mark Kelly is a possible contender given his success in Arizona, a key swing state, which included a decisive victory in the 2022 midterm elections.
Opinion polls have shown Trump ahead of Biden in voting intention, so recruiting Kelly could boost Democrats’ popularity at a crucial moment in the presidential race.
Kelly He is the husband of former Congresswoman Gabby Giffords, who was seriously injured in a 2011 mass shooting in Arizona.
With gun violence a major campaign issue for Democrats, Kelly’s personal story could resonate with voters.
Roy Cooper, Governor of North Carolina
Cooper is another Democrat who has found success in a state that voted for Trump twice, both in 2016 and 2020.
Ahead of the November elections, North Carolina is seen as a major opportunity for Democrats given the rapid population growth of its major urban centers, Charlotte and Raleigh.
Harris herself has traveled to the state several times this year in an attempt to bolster support for her party.
In addition to its popularity, Cooper brings with him a wealth of experience, having held public office since 1987.
He served in both the House and Senate, and was later elected state attorney general, a position he held for 16 years thanks to three successful re-election campaigns.
This was followed by the position he holds now, that of governor, to which he was first elected in 2017 and again in 2020.
He has already expressed his support for Harris’s presidential bid, writing on social media: “I have known her since our days as attorneys general and she has what it takes to defeat Donald Trump.”
Jay Robert Pritzker, Governor of Illinois
Known as JB Pritzker, the Illinois governor has become more notorious in recent years for his outspoken criticism of Trump and his defense of Biden.
The billionaire businessman, heir to the Hyatt hotel chain, is known for lashing out at Trump on social media.
After the June debate between Biden and the Republican presidential nominee, he called the latter a “liar” and said he was a “34-count convicted felon who only cares about himself.”
Like Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, Pritzker has managed to pass progressive laws on issues such as abortion rights and gun control.
Speaking about Biden’s presidency, he has said that it is “one of the most effective and successful” in the country’s history.
On Monday, he endorsed Harris, writing on social media platform X that Biden’s resignation was “a real surprise,” adding that the vice president was the party’s best option to defeat Trump.
“Vice President Harris has demonstrated, at every point in her career, that she has the skills, strength, and character to lead this country and the vision to improve the lives of all Americans,” he said.
Gretchen Whitmer, Governor of Michigan
Gretchen Whitmer, a two-term governor of Michigan, is an increasingly popular Democrat in the Midwest and many pundits were already considering her for the 2028 presidential race.
She once campaigned for Biden and has not been shy about her political aspirations.
Whitmer told The New York Times that by 2028 she wanted a Gen X president, without suggesting she might aspire to be one.
In 2022, he led a campaign that took Michigan Democrats control of Congress and the state government.
That allowed him to enact a series of progressive policies, including protecting access to abortion in the state and gun control measures.
After Biden’s withdrawal, Whitmer quickly declared that her job “will remain the same”: “Do everything I can to get Democrats elected and stop Donald Trump.”
He endorsed Harris on Monday, promising voters in Michigan, a key state in the election, that Harris will lower prices, protect freedoms and build an economy for working people.
It remains unclear whether he will ultimately seek the vice-presidency, though, as he told a reporter on Tuesday that he had no plans to leave Michigan.
Gavin Newsom, Governor of California
As governor of California, Gavin Newsom was always one of the most fervent defenders of the Biden administration. He frequently appeared on news networks praising the president, which made him one of the most notable Democratic figures.
He was already in the running for 2028, and many were mentioning him as a candidate to replace Biden in the presidential race in November.
He is often listed as a possible candidate for 20 but many Democratic pundits had suggested he could be in the running to replace Biden.
He rose to national prominence with his role as a key Democratic Party messenger in conservative media and his participation in a debate with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, a Republican, last year.
Before Biden announced his withdrawal from the race, Newson flew to Washington in July to meet with the president and other top governors and headlined a campaign event with the president.
When Biden’s decision to decline re-election became known, the governor of California described him as a “selfless” president and expressed his support for the “intrepid and tenacious” Harris in her attempt to beat Trump.
Pete Buttigieg, Secretary of Transportation
It’s no secret that Pete Buttigieg has presidential aspirations.
He ran in 2020 and is said to be one of the best communicators in the Biden administration.
At the head of the Transportation Secretariat, he was in charge manage a series of public crises.
He helped oversee the government’s response to the East Palestine train derailment in Ohio, the Baltimore bridge collapse and the Southwest Airlines flight scheduling crisis in 2022.
Buttigieg said in X that Biden “has earned his place among the best and most important presidents in American history.”
He said he would do “everything I can to help Kamala Harris be elected as the next president.”
Other names being considered
The list of potential candidates is longer.
One example is Maryland Governor Wes Moore, who was in the spotlight a few months ago following the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore.
Senators Amy Klobuchar and Cory Booker have previously run for president and have some recognition among Democrats.
And then there’s Georgia Sen. Raphael Warnock, who won a tight race in a swing state.
- The massive wave of Democratic support for Kamala Harris makes her an almost certain candidate
- What Biden’s election withdrawal means for Kamala Harris, Democrats and Trump