Kamala Harris’ running mate

Now that Joe Biden has ended his campaign and endorsed Kamala Harris for President in 2024, a number of House and Senate Democrats are following Biden’s lead in also endorsing Harris. We’re going to see this trend continue, and there’s almost no doubt that she’ll be the nominee. Thanks to this united front, she’ll hit the ground with significant momentum. But there’s one big question: who will be her running mate?

Here’s the thing. We can throw all the names at the wall that we want, and none of it will impact her decision. Kamala has surely had plenty of time to think about who she’d hypothetically pick if she ended up being the 2024 nominee. There’s no point in me trying to guess what the name will be. But I can spell out some logical parameters for what might go into her decision making.

Kamala Harris could decide to pick up more white male moderate votes by picking a white male running mate. Gavin Newsom is probably the most popular person to fit that description in the Democratic Party. But would an all-California ticket really help Democrats in swing states? So she could instead pick, for instance, Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro.

But nothing says that Harris has to pick a white man, or even a man. She could, for instance, pick popular Governor Gretchen Whitmer and just about guarantee a win in the key swing state of Michigan. Again, I’m not speculating when it comes to these names. I’m just giving examples of the kinds of options that Harris has available to her.

Let’s also remember that this isn’t just about demographics or swing states or a “balanced” ticket. A presidential candidate ultimately has to pick someone they can work well with, and who would make a suitable President if the unthinkable were to happen. In the end Kamala Harris will have to make the pick that she thinks is best – and we’ll need to get behind her pick whether it was our first choice or not.