Here Are Potential VP Picks for Kamala Harris if Joe Biden Exits 2024 Presidential Race
Potential Running Mates for Kamala Harris
After the disastrous first debate against Donald Trump, Joe Biden was subjected to criticism and increasing pressure from the Democratic Party to withdraw from the 2024 presidential race. Despite this, Biden asserted that he has no intentions to back off. However, if he were to change his mind, Vice President Kamala Harris would be the most expected successor to fill his position. Democratic strategist Andrew Feldman, who has close ties with state parties, also spoke. As reported by AP News, he said, “Harris makes the most sense to carry on the Biden legacy." Meanwhile, reports suggest that if Biden steps aside, at least three prominent Democrats are being shortlisted as potential running mates for Harris in the 2024 presidential race.
1. Roy Cooper
Insiders from the Biden-Harris campaign have hinted that Roy Cooper is currently the frontrunner for the role of Harris' potential running mate. Roy, a Southern moderate, has navigated a Republican-led legislature since taking office in 2016. Moving ahead, Christopher Cooper, a professor at Western Carolina University, also shared his perspective on Roy. As reported by Carolina Public Press, he said, “Cooper is a purple-state Democratic governor who, as a matter of fact, in the last election was the only one who was a Democratic governor who won on the same ballot as Trump." Democrats also believe that with Roy on the ticket, they could secure a win in North Carolina.
2. Andy Beshear
Andy Beshear recently secured a second term in a deep red state and has caught the attention of the Democratic Party. His stint as the state's attorney general also forges a link to Harris. On the other hand, despite the buzz about him potentially stepping up if Biden bows out, Beshear has said that he doesn’t want to entertain the speculation. As reported by ABC7 Chicago, he said, "My name coming up, it's flattering as a person to hear, but I think it's more about the good things going on in Kentucky. And so while it's nice to hear your name and things like that, I'm just proud of what we have done as a state. And the president and the vice president have been very helpful in making a lot of that happen."
3. Josh Shapiro
Another potential candidate is Josh Shapiro as he has strong polling numbers. A January poll showed he had a 59% approval rating which is more than any other recent Pennsylvania governor. According to the Daily Mail, this is significant because Pennsylvania is a key swing state. Recently, democratic political strategist Mike Mikus also spoke about Shapiro. As reported by CBS News, he said, "Governor Shapiro has built quite the reputation nationally in a very short period of time. And I think the very first thing is that he won Pennsylvania, which is typically a very close state politically, he won it by a wide margin in 2022." He added, "He's one of those rare politicians where voters project their beliefs on him. That's why he's popular among Democrats who are progressive, Democrats who are moderate, some moderate Republicans."
