Pat Ryan voices support for Buttigieg as Harris VP

Rep. Pat Ryan (D-N.Y.) voiced support for Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg to be selected as Vice President Harris’s running mate on Wednesday.

CNN’s Kasie Hunt asked Ryan on “CNN This Morning” who he would like to see chosen as Harris’s potential vice president, noting that Sen. Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.) and Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro (D) are potential contenders for the ticket.

“I am and have forever been a Pete Buttigieg fan. I think he has just knocked it out of the park in delivering on infrastructure, calling out airlines when they fail,” Ryan responded.

He added that Buttigieg has “just shown an ability to actually unify the country when that is just what people are desperately looking for.”

President Biden endorsed Harris for the White House shortly after announcing his own decision to withdraw from the race on Sunday. In recent days, speculation has swirled over who Harris will choose to be her running mate in November’s election.

Buttigieg has been floated as a possible pick for the role. He ran against Harris and Biden in the 2020 Democratic presidential primary and has been one of the administration’s top surrogates as head of the Transportation Department.

He has signaled he would be open to serving as vice president for Harris.

“But if she asked, are you saying you wouldn’t say no?” MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow asked Buttigieg on Monday.

“Sure. We’re just not in that mode right now. You know, we’re on the second day since the president made his decision, and I trust her,” Buttigieg responded, referring to Biden’s announcement that he would not be seeking reelection.