Democrats urge Harris to look to battleground states for VP pick

Democrats are urging Vice President Harris to look to the battleground states and the party’s governors for her potential running mate as she consolidates Democratic support behind her nascent bid for the presidency.

Harris has swiftly brought the party to her side since President Biden stepped aside as the Democratic nominee Sunday and endorsed her as his successor.

That rapid coalescing is prompting Democrats to turn their attention to who should succeed her as the vice presidential nominee, with many looking at how to use what they describe as a loaded bench to best balance out the ticket.

“That is the first presidential decision that Vice President Harris has, so she’s got a lot of good choices ahead of her,” Sen. Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii) told reporters at the Capitol, rattling off a number of Democratic governors — Josh Shapiro of Pennsylvania, Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan and Roy Cooper of North Carolina among them — along with Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg and Sen. Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.) as possible choices. 

“And the list goes on,” Schatz said. “I’m sure I’m missing somebody and offending somebody, but we’ve got an abundance of riches now.”

Party strategists and lawmakers acknowledge Harris may need to look for a candidate that can serve as a counterweight to a presidential nominee who hails from California, has a legal background, and is the first Black and Asian American woman in her position.

The lion’s share of those options are men hailing from the Midwest or battleground states, many of whom are governors and would be tasked with helping Harris maintain the “Blue Wall” of Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin. 

“Having someone not from a coast who has run an agency or run a state or been a mayor would be a nice balance,” one Democratic operative said.

Multiple Democrats pointed to Cooper, who is wrapping up his second term as governor in Raleigh, as someone who could boost the ticket, and they note that former President Trump only carried North Carolina by fewer than 75,000 votes in 2020.

“If I could picture the VP, it would look a lot like Cooper,” one House Democrat said. “He’s basically out of central casting.”

Cooper said during a TV interview Monday that he spoke on the phone with Harris on Sunday. He said the conversation focused on “winning this race” but declined to talk specifics about the vice presidential slot.

“I appreciate people talking about me,” the 67-year-old Cooper said, “but I think the focus right now needs to be on her this week.”

Buttigieg, the lone member of Biden’s Cabinet said to be up for consideration, has his own positives, and Democrats argue he would perform best in a debate against GOP vice presidential nominee Sen. JD Vance (R-Ohio).

He also hails from Indiana and has the highest name ID of anyone being mentioned after his bid for the presidency. 

But his potential drawbacks center on whether voters will back a ticket consisting of a Black and Asian American woman and gay man.

Some Democrats dismiss the concern.

“The people who would be upset by that aren’t voting for us anyway,” the Democratic operative said. 

Kelly is an obvious contender for the position, with what Democrats view as a sterling resume: a veteran and former astronaut who hails from a battleground state where he has had unparalleled electoral success in recent years. 

Yet, he has an obvious drawback: If Harris were to win, he would have to leave the seat and prompt a special election in a swing state, potentially giving Democrats trouble in the Senate. 

“You can’t take Kelly and open up that Senate seat,” one Democratic operative from a battleground state said.

And Shapiro, who has gotten a significant amount of buzz and has widely been considered a 2028 presidential contender, has been subject to intense scrutiny from some progressives who are wary he would be a good fit.

According to the House Democrat, Shapiro is the lone veepstakes contender who has gotten “strong pushback” from progressive members due to a number of policy positions, including on school vouchers and his ardent support for Israel.

“He is the only one that I know for a fact progressives have privately talked about not wanting to see,” the lawmaker said.

Whitmer, the lone woman in serious contention, meanwhile, told a reporter in her home state that she is “not leaving Michigan” and has no plans “to go anywhere.”

The field in the unexpected veepstakes is far from settled, with other names certain to be floated in the coming weeks until one comes to the forefront for a party that is trying to unify, and do so quickly. 

“One of the things this unlocks is a demonstration that the Democratic Party has a next generation of leaders that are ready to step up,” Schatz said.