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By Andrew Stanton
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Several of Vice President Kamala Harris' potential running mates have already dropped out of the running.
President Joe Biden ended his presidential campaign on July 21 following weeks of pressure from other Democrats concerned about his ability to defeat Donald Trump in November, amid voter concerns about his age and polls showing him trailing the former president in key swing states. He endorsed Harris, who has quickly secured the support of most Democrats to become their presidential nominee.
Harris appears to have secured enough delegates to become the Democrats' presidential nomination, with the official vote taking place next month. Now, she is tasked with selecting a vice presidential candidate that will broaden her appeal and help her win the swing states likely to determine the outcome of the presidential election.
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The race to become Harris' running mate has appeared to narrow in recent days as some potential contenders have indicated they are not interested in the role.
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Roy Cooper
North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper has been viewed as a possible running mate due to his electoral success in North Carolina, a state that has gone to Republicans in the past three elections. Cooper's proponents argued he could win over Republican voters, as he has in his home state.
However, he confirmed in a post on X (formerly Twitter) Monday night that he is not seeking the nomination.
"I strongly support Vice President Harris' campaign for President. I know she's going to win and I was honored to be considered for this role. This just wasn't the right time for North Carolina and for me to potentially be on a national ticket," he wrote. "As I've said from the beginning, she has an outstanding list of people from which to choose, and we'll all work to make sure she wins."
The New York Times reported earlier, citing two anonymous sources, that Cooper was asked to be vetted for the role but declined. He reportedly raised concerns that if Lieutenant Governor Mark Robinson were in the acting gubernatorial role, he could raise a legal challenge to Cooper's authority.
Some Democrats noted that at 67, Cooper is older than other candidates vying for the vice president role and that North Carolina is not necessarily a must-win state for Harris.
Gretchen Whitmer
Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer has long been viewed as a potential presidential or vice presidential candidate due to her strong track record in her swing state, where a Harris win would bolster her chances of winning 270 Electoral College votes.
She told CBS News on Monday that she is not part of Harris' campaign's vetting.
"I have communicated with everyone, including the people of Michigan, that I'm going to stay as governor until the end of my term at the end of 2026," she said.
She continued that Harris has "a great group of people from who she's going to pick her running mate."
Whitmer also disputed the idea, floated by some Democrats, that Harris must pick a white man to be her running mate.
"In Michigan, myself, my secretary of state, my attorney general, all the chief executives are women, and every one of us was told there maybe were too many women on the ticket. Baloney, we proved that wrong in the swingiest of swing states," she said.
Who Is Still Being Considered?
Harris is expected to announce her pick in the coming weeks and has reportedly considered several contenders for her running mate.
Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear, Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper, Arizona Senator Mark Kelly, Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker, and Minnesota Governor Tim Walz have been speculated to be in the running.
Some Democrats have questioned if California Governor Gavin Newsom could be considered as a running mate, but he has not been reported to be in the running. The 12th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution notes that a state's Electoral College votes cannot go to a ticket if both the president and vice president are from that state. This means California could not back a Harris-Newsom ticket, and the state's 54 votes are crucial to Harris' victory.
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