DemDaily: The Veepstakes!
July 24, 2024
In a truly unparalleled four days in the history of the Democratic Party, the US has witnessed the withdrawal of President Joe Biden from the 2024 election, his endorsement of Vice President Kamala Harris as his successor and the unified resurgence of a political party in recent disarray.
Harris, the presumed nominee, must now pick a running mate for Vice President, elevating one of the country's leading officials -- most likely from a battleground state -- in the next week.
The truncated veepstakes have only added to the overwhelming excitement generated by Harris' candidacy and anticipation around her historic choice.
The Process
Biden had the support of 3,896 pledged delegates before he dropped out of the race. While Harris has already amassed more than two-thirds of the delegates - far more than the majority needed to secure the Democratic party’s presidential nomination -- she must be formally nominated by a virtual roll call vote.
Under the formal procedure adopted by the Democratic National Committee's (DNC) Rules & Bylaws Committee today, any candidate wishing to run for the nomination has until this Saturday to declare their intention. Eligible candidates will then transition into a period of lobbying for delegate support prior to the roll call vote, which will commence August 1, 2024.
| After a nominee has been chosen, they will choose their running mate, who will be accepted by DNC leadership by August 7. The presidential ticket will be given a ceremonial vote by delegates at the Democratic Convention in Chicago August 19-22, where the party’s official platform will also be adopted. |
The Contenders
Traditional factors in considering a vice presidential running mate include geography, experience, ideology, ethnicity and/or gender, age and the compatibility of the nominee and the running mate -- although not necessarily in that order.
The end equation should complement the strengths and mitigate the weaknesses of the presidential candidate and their partner in their quest for the White House.
Former Attorney General Eric Holder Jr. is overseeing the vetting process, which reportedly is down to seven candidates:
Senator Mark Kelly (AZ), and Governor Josh Shapiro (PA) reportedly top the list, which also includes Governors Roy Cooper (NC), Tim Walz (MN), Andy Beshear (KY) and J.B. Pritzker (IL).
Gretchen Whitmer, 52, Governor of top battleground Michigan, is at the top of many lists, but she had adamantly stated that she is not leaving The Great Lakes State. "I’m not going anywhere,” said Whitmer this week.
| Wes Moore, 45, elected as Maryland's first African American Governor in 2022 with 65% of the vote, also took his name out of contention -- ensuring that the final selection of Harris' running mate, based on this list, will be a white man. |
Shapiro, 51, served as Pennsylvania's state attorney general before being elected with 56.5% in 2022 to succeed retiring Democratic incumbent Tom Wolf. A moderate and one of the country's most popular Governors with a 59% favorability rating, he could help deliver the crucial Keystone State. His stances on private school vouchers and the Israel-Hamas war -- he has yet to call for a cease-fire - would be unpopular among the progressive wing of the party.
Kelly, 60, a former naval aviator and astronaut, rose to national prominence after his wife, Congresswoman Gabby Giffords, survived an assassination attempt in 2011, and for his subsequent advocacy for stricter gun control.
He won a 2020 special election to fill the seat of the late Arizona Republican Senator John McCain with 51.2% of the vote and was narrowly elected to a full term by 51.4% in 2022 in the battleground state that Biden won by 0.3% in 2020. In both his elections, however, Kelly earned more votes than any other Democrat on the ballot and in 2020, outpolled Biden by 2 percentage points.Kelly's relatively tough stance on immigration would be a boon to Harris; but his refusal -- until today -- to sign on to President Biden's flagship labor legislation, the PRO Act, could rankle some in labor.
Also on the ticket: The top targeted US Senate contest between Congressman Ruben Gallego (D) and MAGA Republican Kari Lake to fill the seat of Kyrsten Sinema, who not running for reelection
Beshear, one of the Democratic Party's rising stars, was reelected to a second term in 2023, fending off a formidable challenge by Trump-endorsed Republican Attorney General Daniel Cameron, 52.5% to 47.5%, in a solidly red state that Trump won by 26%. The $70 million contest was the most expensive in the state's history.
The popular 46-year-old, a moderate who boasts a 64% approval rate, is the son of former two-term Governor Steve Beshear (D).
| Governors are traditionally considered among the best presidential candidates because, as a state's highest-ranking elected official they are administrators -- responsible for dictating policy and overseeing the budget, agencies, National Guard and its executive branch. Politically, governors are also more independent -- in practice and in the eyes of the voters. 10 states have split partisan control between legislative chambers and the governor's mansion. |
Walz, 60, was elected Governor of Minnesota with 53.8% of the vote in 2018 and reelected with 52.3% in 2022. Previously a six-term rural congressman and educator, Walz also served 24 years in the Army National Guard. As governor, he has shepherded a raft of progressive legislation through the state legislature, despite a mere one-seat Democratic majority.
His appeal to rural, working-class voters is seen as a potential counter to Trump's populist running mate, Ohio Senator JD Vance. Although Walz may lack national name recognition among the voters, donors know him as the current Chair of the Democratic Governors Association.
Cooper, 67, who has won six statewide general elections over two decades in the southern swing state, is term-limited as Governor. A popular moderate, he won reelection in 2020 by 4.5%, even as Trump narrowly won the state's electoral votes.
Also on the ticket: Two-term North Carolina Attorney General Josh Stein (D) and Lieutenant Governor Mark Robinson (R) are running neck-n-neck in the highly contentious general election contest to succeed Cooper.
Pritzker, 59, reelected to a second term in 2022 with 55% of the vote, is among the more progressive Governors under consideration and, although Illinois is not a battleground state, it is part of the region's "Blue Wall" that is essential to victory in 2024.
Pritzker, a billionaire who founded several several venture capital and investment startups, and whose family owns the worldwide hotel chain Hyatt, helped secure Chicago as the home of the 2024 Democratic Convention by pledging to finance the convention through fundraising and his own wealth.
DemList will keep you informed.
Related
DemDaily: The Presumed Nominee 7/23/24
DemDaily: The Path Forward 7/22/24
DemDaily: Trump Unhinged 7/19/24
DemDaily: Democratic Convention Calendar is Live! 7/15/24
DemDaily: Weathering The Storm 7/10/24
DemDaily: DNC Releases Party Platform 7/18/24
DemDaily: Rolling Out The Nomination 6/24/24
DemDaily: Countdown to The Convention 5/13/24
DemList
Connecting You to The Party
Connecting You to Each Other
Kimberly Scott
Publisher
Please Support Our Work!
SignUp for the Daily updates on the issues, politics and the Democratic Convention!
Follow DemList on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn
Sources: CNN, New York Times NPR, Axios, Quinnipiac, AP, Harris Campaign, US News
