Analysis | 7 options for Harris’s VP pick, broken down (2024)

Vice President Harris is on a glide path to the 2024 Democratic nomination just two days after President Biden’s decision to end his campaign. Despite some talk about a contested race, Harris faces no high-profile opponents yet and has already amassed the support of more than two-thirds of delegates — well more than the majority she needs. Her nomination could become official via a virtual vote as early as next week.

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Who he is: Shapiro has served in a variety of roles over the last 20 years. He has risen from state House member and Montgomery County commissioner to Pennsylvania attorney general and then, after the 2022 election, governor of Pennsylvania. He would be the first Jewish vice president in American history.

What he brings: Perhaps nobody in the Democratic Party right now is a bigger rising star, and perhaps nobody on this list could do more to help Harris win lots of electoral votes (19) in a key state. Shapiro won his 2022 campaign by nearly 15 points. Some of that was owing to the flawed and extreme Republican opponent he faced. But Shapiro made a concerted point to appeal to rural voters, and a poll earlier this year showed that more than 3 in 10 Pennsylvania Donald Trump supporters also supported Shapiro. Recent polls also showed him leading Trump if he were the Democratic presidential nominee — something no other candidate could say. Shapiro has a reputation as an energetic and gifted messenger who doesn’t come off as performative.

If there’s a drawback, it’s that Shapiro is still somewhat new to the national scene. And a smaller, more practical issue: Pennsylvania Democrats could lose a tiebreaking vote in a divided state Senate if a Harris-Shapiro ticket wins, because of the state’s unusual succession rules.

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Who he is: Kelly is a former Navy combat pilot and NASA astronaut who made his political debut in 2020 by running for U.S. Senate. He defeated an appointed senator and then won again in 2022, securing a full term. He is married to former congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords (D-Ariz.), who was severely wounded in a mass shooting in Tucson in 2011.

What he brings: My colleague Karen Tumulty has made the case for Kelly, whose personal biography might be the most compelling on this list. She argues that his tougher-than-most-Democrats stance on border security could help Harris withstand attacks on the administration’s border record. And Kelly’s status as a gun owner and self-proclaimed Second Amendment supporter — who has pushed for measured gun restrictions — could balance the ticket culturally. Kelly also comes from a swing state that Democrats won in 2020 for just the second time since 1948, but where polls show they’re struggling for a repeat.

Kelly might be among the safest, most sympathetic picks, but he’s cut a pretty low national profile, meaning this would be a big step up. There’s also a small succession problem if Kelly wins: While Gov. Katie Hobbs (D) would appoint a Democratic replacement, Democrats would have to defend the seat in 2026 — two years early.

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Who he is: Cooper has been in office in North Carolina since the 1980s — first as a state legislator, then for 16 years as state attorney general, and now he’s winding down his second and final term as governor.

What he brings: Most striking, Cooper has won five statewide campaigns the same years that Republicans have carried North Carolina at the presidential level. He over-performed Biden’s margin by six points in 2020. Nobody else on this list has the electoral or political pedigree that he has. If the name of the game is having a steady-if-unexciting pick who exudes competence and experience — and also has clear crossover appeal — he’s that by a mile. And that could be appealing, given a recent poll showing that just 3 in 10 Americans believe Harris would make a good president.

That lengthy political track record also means that Cooper is older than the other candidates on this list, at 67, which is perhaps less than ideal as the ticket seeks to play up its newfound youth. And there’s a small practical problem for the campaign ahead: Every time Cooper leaves the state, Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson, an extreme Republican seeking to replace him, becomes acting governor. (We’ve seen how situations like that can go sideways.)

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Who he is: Beshear is a former state attorney general who was elected to a second term as governor of Kentucky last year — the Democrats’ biggest result of that election. He is the son of Steve Beshear, who also held both of those jobs.

What he brings: Beshear’s 2023 win might be the most impressive of any that we’re talking about here. He faced a capable opponent in state Attorney General Daniel Cameron (R) at a time when Democrats were beginning to fret about this year’s elections, and he still won by five points in quite a red state. He’s also young (46) and, like Shapiro, has a reputation for being a constant and reassuring presence at important moments in his state, such as natural disasters. While other candidates on this list might appeal to moderate and conservative voters, Beshear looks and acts the part more than others — often invoking his Christian faith.

But he’s still new to the national scene, and sometimes governors who win in tough states don’t have much staying power. While he has been firmly in favor of abortion rights and in line with the left on many issues, governing Kentucky as a Democrat has required some compromises that might not appeal to liberals, including on climate change.

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Who he is: Walz is a military veteran and former longtime public school teacher who served 12 years in Congress before winning two terms as governor in 2018 and 2022. He has also served as chairman of the Democratic Governors Association since last year.

But Walz might be the most anonymous name on this list, and he doesn’t come from the most crucial of states (though Minnesota is looking more competitive than usual).

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Who he is: Pritzker is a billionaire member of a well-heeled Democratic family that runs the Hyatt hotel chain. He served as national co-chairman of Hillary Clinton’s 2008 presidential campaign and was elected governor of Illinois in 2018 before winning reelection in 2022. Like Shapiro, he is Jewish.

What he brings: Pritzker has for months been a leading surrogate for the Biden campaign, and he’s studied at making the case against Trump — a key role for any running mate. As governor of a blue state, he’s got achievements on progressive policies to point to, including legalizing recreational marijuana, raising the minimum wage and protecting abortion rights. His wealth and ties to wealthy donors could also help Harris’s campaign raise money — though that $100 million money bomb she’s received in recent days suggests that might now be less of a consideration.

But Pritzker is unlike most any name on this list in that it’s not clear he has obvious crossover appeal. He won by 13 points in 2022, but that’s not a hugely convincing showing given he comes from such a blue state (Biden won it by 17 in 2020) and his opponent was pretty extreme (even at one point having proposed excising Chicago from Illinois).

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Who she is: Whitmer is a former state senator and state Senate leader who briefly served as a county prosecutor before being elected as governor in 2018 and 2022.

What she brings: Whitmer has won each of her campaigns in a swing state by about 10 points, even as she’s carved out a pretty progressive record. And similar to Shapiro, doing anything to secure her state’s electoral votes (15) would be huge. She’s also often mentioned alongside Shapiro as one of the party’s most prominent rising stars — one with more time as governor, at that.

But you have to wonder if Democrats would truly consider running a ticket featuring two women. Americans at least say they like the idea of women serving as president, but the hurdle has never been cleared, and some might view it as a significant risk to run two together. Whitmer also downplayed any chatter about her being Harris’s running mate this week. “I am not leaving Michigan,” she told the Detroit News, adding: “I have been consistent. I know everyone is always suspicious and asking this question over and over again. … I am not going anywhere.”

Others to keep an eye on: Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, California Gov. Gavin Newsom, Colorado Gov. Jared Polis, Maryland Gov. Wes Moore, Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo, retired Navy Adm. William McRaven.

Election 2024

Follow live updates on the 2024 election from our reporters on the campaign trail and in Washington.

Kamala Harris: A majority of Democratic delegates have pledged to support Harris, signaling she is likely to secure the presidential nomination next month. We broke down seven options for her vice-presidential pick.

Biden drops out: President Biden addressed the nation, seeking to define his legacy and explain his decision to exit the presidential race. Here’s what happened in the hours before Biden posted a letter announcing his decision to end his campaign.

Trump VP pick: Donald Trump has chosen Sen. J.D. Vance (Ohio) as his running mate, selecting a rising star in the Republican Party and a previously outspoken Trump critic who in recent years has closely aligned himself with the former president.

Presidential election polls: Here’s what voters think about Harris replacing Biden and how Harris performs against Trump in recent polls.