Kamala Harris is expected to announce her running mate this week, her campaign co-chair Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said on Monday, July 29.
After President Joe Biden surprised the world on July 21 when he dropped out of the presidential race and endorsed his Vice President to take his place as the Democratic nominee, reporting and speculation has been in overdrive about whom Harris will choose to join her campaign against the Republican ticket of former President Donald Trump and Ohio Sen. J.D. Vance.
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With the Democratic National Committee set to conduct a virtual roll call to officially nominate its ticket in early August before the party holds its convention in Chicago in mid-August, Harris is under pressure to vet and pick someone who can help balance the ticket and boost turnout in November as well as be ready to step into the role of Vice President next January. “Everything’s truncated,” Whitmer said on CBS, “and she’s going to make that decision probably in the next six, seven days.”
Harris is planning to formally reveal her pick on Tuesday, Aug. 6, in Philadelphia, to kick off a barnstorm together through seven swing states in four days, Politico reported on July 30.
Already, it’s been widely reported that Harris’ campaign has narrowed its focus to three main contenders, while several others have withdrawn from consideration.
Here’s what to know about the names mentioned as potential Harris running mates.
Sen. Mark Kelly
The 60-year-old senator from Arizona is reportedly among the three people the Harris campaign has “zeroed in on” as the search for a running mate ramps up, according to Bloomberg. He, along with Govs. Josh Shapiro and Tim Walz, are actively being vetted by the Harris campaign, according to NBC.
Kelly started his career in the Navy as an aviator before being selected by NASA as an astronaut. In 2011, his wife, then-Rep. Gabby Giffords, was shot in the head during a constituent meeting outside a grocery store, leaving her with permanent disabilities. Kelly and Giffords became advocates for universal background checks and other gun control measures, and after Republican Sen. John McCain died in 2018, Kelly successfully ran in the 2020 special election to unseat Republican interim appointed Sen. Martha McSally. Kelly won reelection in 2022, defeating Republican challenger Blake Masters.
Kelly’s Democratic colleagues in the Senate have enthusiastically supported the possibility of him joining the presidential ticket. “He’d be superb,” Virginia’s Tim Kaine, the 2016 Democratic vice presidential nominee, told NBC. As a lawmaker, Kelly has a reputation for being a moderate pragmatist, which many congressional Democrats, according to Politico, believe could be an important asset, particularly on the issue of immigration and the border, for which his tough stance stands in contrast to what is seen as potentially Harris’ greatest weakness.
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Kelly also has a record of support from the tech sector, which could prove valuable for Harris’ fundraising, as well as the highest net favorability rating—at +10%, according to a recent ABC News/Ipsos poll—of the contenders on Harris’ reported shortlist.
But there are also risks to selecting Kelly. While Arizona is an important swing state in the presidential election, taking Kelly out of the Senate would pave the way for another special election, which would give Republicans an opportunity to shift the balance of power. Kelly has also drawn some concerns from organized labor over his lack of support for the PRO Act, a stance he’s since reversed amid the new speculation of his consideration to be Harris’ running mate.
Asked last week if he wants the VP job, Kelly told reporters: “This is not about me. But I've always, always when I’ve had the chance to serve, I think that's very important to do.”
Gov. Josh Shapiro
The 51-year-old governor of Pennsylvania is perhaps the most-feared potential Harris running mate among Republicans.
Shapiro rose to national prominence after he was elected governor by a massive margin in 2022, offering some Democrats hope that, if he’s on the ticket again, a purple state like Pennsylvania—which Biden barely won in 2020 and Trump won in 2016—could remain blue in 2024, which would make Trump’s path back to the White House significantly more difficult.
Shapiro would be the first Jewish candidate for Vice President since Joe Lieberman’s unsuccessful run alongside Al Gore in 2000. His pro-Israel record—he’s a self-declared Zionist who has been outspoken against antisemitism, though he’s also called Israel Prime Minister Netanyahu “a terrible leader”—could help him with some constituencies and alienate him with others, particularly voters in Michigan, a swing state with a large Arab American community for whom Gaza remains a core issue.
Shapiro, who has been likened to former President Barack Obama in his oratory abilities, stumped for Harris last weekend in central Pennsylvania, where he claimed Trump is “afraid to debate” Harris “because she’s going to kick his a--.”
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Shapiro has declined to comment on his consideration to be Harris’ running mate, but when he endorsed her on July 21, he said: “I’ve known Kamala Harris for nearly two decades — we’ve both been prosecutors, we’ve both stood up for the rule of law, we’ve both fought for the people and delivered results.“
Gov. Tim Walz
Fast emerging as one of the most popular contenders to be Harris’ running mate is 60-year-old Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, who is seen as another potential candidate that can boost Democrats’ midwest appeal, though Minnesota is less of a swing state than others.
Walz, a former high school teacher and football coach who served in the National Guard for 24 years, was a member of Congress for 12 years before he was elected Minnesota governor in 2018 and reelected in 2022.
Walz has been hailed in recent days as an effective communicator, particularly in defense of the progressive policies he’s championed. When asked on CNN recently if his record, which includes providing free school breakfasts and lunches, legalizing recreational marijuana use, codifying abortion rights, and more, could fuel attacks for being too liberal, he quipped: ““What a monster—kids are eating and having full bellies so they can go learn, and women are making their own health care decisions, and we’re a top-five business state, and we also rank in the top three of happiness.”
Similarly, on X, he’s defended his stance on gun control, posting: “It’s true. I’m a veteran, a hunter, and a gun owner. But I’m also a dad. And for many years, I was a teacher. I know basic gun safety isn’t a threat to my rights. It’s about keeping our kids safe. I had an A rating from the NRA. Now I get straight F's. And I sleep just fine.”
But perhaps most notably, Walz’s persistence in labeling Trump and the Republican platform as “weird” has already redefined the terms of the race.
Read More: How ‘Weird’ Became a Main Campaign Attack—for Democrats and Republicans
According to Axios, Walz, if selected, is likely to be attacked by Republicans over his response to riots in Minneapolis after police killed George Floyd in 2020 as well as his state’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Since Harris’ presidential campaign launched, Walz has made many media appearances in support of her, and when pressed by CNN’s Jake Tapper on Sunday if he would serve as Harris’ running mate if asked, he responded: “I would do what is in the best interests of the country,” and “we’ll cross paths when we get there.”
Gov. Andy Beshear
Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, 46, is a Southern Democrat who has also risen to national prominence for his track record of winning over voters in a typically red state, though some analysts say he is not well known enough outside his state compared to other reported vice presidential contenders.
Beshear won reelection in 2023, despite Trump winning Kentucky by approximately 30 percentage points in 2020, in large part by running a campaign that attacked his opponent for supporting the state’s near-total ban on abortion—an issue that Harris is expected to make central in her campaign.
Since the launch of Harris’ presidential campaign, Beshear has increasingly been spotted on national TV, earning a reputation as an “attack dog” for the Vice President, particularly in going after Trump’s running mate J.D. Vance. who had framed himself as a child of Appalachian Kentucky. Asked on MSNBC on July 22 about being a potential running mate, Beshear said: “The only way I would consider something other than this current job is if I believed I could further help my people and to help this country.”
Sec. Pete Buttigieg
Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, 42, became a national name when he ran in the Democratic primary for President in 2020 as the mayor of South Bend, Ind.
While he is Democrats’ most preferred running mate for Harris according to a YouGov poll, Buttigieg is unlikely to increase votes as Indiana is a Republican stronghold—and Michigan, where he moved to in 2022, is already handled by Whitmer.
A Rhodes Scholar who attended Harvard and Oxford, Buttigieg started his career as a management consultant for McKinsey. He was the first openly gay candidate in history to win a presidential primary contest, when he narrowly finished first in the 2020 Iowa Democratic caucus, and he became the first openly gay cabinet secretary confirmed by the Senate in 2021.
After Biden dropped out of the race, Buttigieg organized a Zoom call to amass donors for Harris, the New York Times reported, and on the call he reportedly admitted that he was “interested” in being her pick for vice presidential nominee “if it were on the table.”
Buttigieg has been an avid campaigner for Biden and now for Harris—both on the ground, particularly in the Midwest, and on TV, particularly on Fox News, where he is seen as adept at driving Democrats’ message on what many view as a conservative channel.
Sen. Gary Peters
Labor unions are lobbying for 65-year-old Sen. Gary Peters of Michigan, an important swing state for Democrats, to be Harris’ running mate, according to Axios, with Peters reportedly interested in the nomination and working to amass support. Peters has earned praise for chairing the Senate Democrats’ campaign arm and helping the party maintain its majority in the 2022 midterms.
Gov. J.B. Pritzker
Coming from one of the wealthiest families in the U.S., 59-year-old Illinois governor J.B. Pritzker’s billionaire status may be his greatest asset.
Filings at the end of June showed the Trump campaign with more cash on hand than Biden’s team, though the Harris campaign has already raised over $200 million in the week since Biden dropped out.
Pritzker endorsed Harris for the nomination in a statement posted on X on July 22, ending speculation that he would run at the top of the ticket. He said that he spoke to Harris and explained why he didn’t immediately endorse her like some of the other contenders did on Sunday. “When I spoke to Vice President Harris, I told her that President Biden’s selfless decision came as a genuine surprise,” Pritzker said. “It’s important to be thoughtful about what’s next for the Democratic Party and for the country, which is why I spent hours yesterday talking to fellow leaders in our Party getting and giving input about the road to victory in November. I am also cognizant of the unique role we play here in Illinois as hosts of the Democratic National Convention.”
Sec. Gina Raimondo
Amid speculation about her consideration, former Rhode Island governor and current Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo, 53, was asked by CBS News if she is in talks with the Harris campaign to be the vice presidential nominee, to which she responded, “It would be an honor to serve in that capacity,” adding that as a member of the cabinet she has had a “front-row seat” to Harris’ leadership and that the nation is “absolutely” ready to see two women on a presidential ticket.
Sen. Raphael Warnock
A former pastor at Atlanta’s Ebenezer Baptist Church—where Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. had once been co-pastor—55-year-old Georgia Sen. Raphael Warnock made the jump from preacher to politician in 2020 when he ran against and beat Republican interim appointee Sen. Kelly Loeffler. Warnock, who represents an important swing state, was rated one of the most “exciting” potential running mate picks by a panel of New York Times columnists, including one who described the senator as “the rare Democrat who can excite the Black working class and white liberals alike.” Others, however, pointed to concerns including his lack of national name recognition and the fact that Georgia’s Republican Gov. Brian Kemp would appoint his replacement in the Senate.
Gov. Roy Cooper
North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper, 67, is another prominent Democrat governor of a critical swing state. He won both his elections in North Carolina in 2016 and 2020, despite Trump carrying the state both election cycles. Like Harris, he previously served as his state’s attorney general.
But while Cooper has expressed support for Harris’ presidential bid, on July 29, he withdrew from consideration to be her running mate. In a statement on X, he said he was “honored” to be considered but that “this just wasn’t the right time for North Carolina and for me to potentially be on a national ticket.”
Adm. William McRaven
Retired U.S. Navy Adm. William McRaven, 68, was reportedly being vetted by Harris’ allies, NBC News reported, as soon as she launched her presidential campaign. When asked about the report on July 24, McRaven told the Dallas Morning News: “As you can appreciate any discussion between the campaign and myself must remain confidential.”
McRaven, best known as the former head of U.S. Special Operations Command who planned and oversaw the raid that killed Osama bin Laden in 2011, has decades of military experience and has advised former Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama. McRaven has also been vocal in his criticisms of Trump.
But amid speculation about his consideration to be Harris’ running mate, McRaven said in a statement last week: “I am honored to have been considered as a possible running mate for Vice President Harris. However, there are far better candidates and I have removed my name from consideration.”
Gov. Wes Moore
Seen as a rising star among Democratic circles, 45-year-old Maryland Gov. Wes Moore made history in 2023 as Maryland’s first Black governor, leveraging a multifaceted career that includes acclaimed authorship, a Rhodes scholarship, military service, and stewardship of the Robin Hood Foundation.
But while he has been a vocal supporter of Harris, on July 23, Moore said he has no interest in becoming her running mate. “I would do anything to make sure that the Vice President becomes the next President of the United States,” Moore told CBS. “But I’m not going anywhere. I’ve said very clearly and very directly to the team that I love my job.”
Gov. Gavin Newsom
California Gov. Gavin Newsom, 56, has been hailed as a rising Democratic star, but he would be ineligible to be Harris’ running mate as they both are from California. The 12th Amendment says that states’ electors “vote by ballot for President and Vice-President, one of whom, at least, shall not be an inhabitant of the same state with themselves.”
A Newsom adviser also told Politico that the governor has no desire to serve as a Vice President: “From his perspective, he has the best job in the world. He looks forward to supporting VP Harris and whomever she picks as her running mate.”
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer
Michigan Gov. Whitmer, 52, was among the first names floated as a potential running mate for Harris. However, when asked by 6 News on July 22 if she was prepared to take the vice presidency if it was offered, Whitmer replied: "No, I'm not going anywhere." She endorsed Harris earlier in the day, and later said that she is "proud to serve as a co-chair of her campaign."
Whitmer could be setting herself up for a potential presidential run in 2028. During her tenure as Michigan’s governor, she has become known for her focus on infrastructure and ran on a campaign to “fix the damn roads” during her successful 2018 gubernatorial campaign. She has also been a prominent abortion rights advocate and has referred to herself as “progressive.”
On July 29, Whitmer reiterated on CBS that she was "not a part of the vetting" process for Harris' running mate. “I have communicated with everyone, including the people of Michigan, that I’m going to stay as governor until the end of my term at the end of 2026,” she said.
