Who will Harris pick as her running mate? What polls, betting markets show
With just three months to go until the November election, Vice President Kamala Harris — now the likely Democratic presidential nominee — has little time to choose a running mate.
Following President Joe Biden’s withdrawal from the race and the party’s rapid coalescence around Harris, there has been a flurry of speculation about who she will tap to fill her shoes.
In recent days, an unofficial shortlist of candidates — which includes Democratic governors and senators — has emerged.
The likely candidates
The Harris campaign has begun the vice presidential nominee vetting process with about 10 elected officials, sources close to the campaign told CNN.
Among them are Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper and Arizona Sen. Mark Kelly, per the outlet.
Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear is also believed to be a potential candidate, according to the Associated Press.
But, two candidates — Shapiro and Kelly — are considered to be front-runners, a senior White House official told ABC News.
Shapiro, who became Pennsylvania’s governor in 2023, is “far more popular” than Biden in the swing state, which is crucial for a Democratic victory, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer.
He previously served as attorney general from 2017 to 2023, as Montgomery County’s chair of the Board of Commissioners from 2011 to 2017 and as a state representative from 2005 to 2011.
Kelly, who was elected to the Senate to represent Arizona in 2020, is considered a moderate who could appeal to key demographics come November, according to Newsweek.
He began his career as a Navy pilot, during which he flew multiple combat missions in the Gulf War. Afterwards, he became an astronaut along with his twin brother Scott, piloting a NASA space shuttle and spending more than seven weeks in space.
What polls show
Recent polls have shown voters would prefer other candidates to serve as Harris’ running mate.
A July 23 YouGov and Yahoo News poll of Democrats and Democrat-leaning independents found a plurality, 30%, would approve of California Gov. Gavin Newsom as Harris’ vice presidential nominee.
Twenty-five percent of respondents said they would approve of Transportation Sec. Pete Buttigieg, and 24% said the same for Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer.
Shapiro and Kelly, meanwhile, received 24% and 18% support, respectively.
The poll, conducted between July 19 and 22, sampled 1,743 U.S. adults and has a margin of error of 2.8 percentage points.
A July 23 NPR/Marist poll of Democrats and Democrat-leaning independents found similar results, with Buttigieg and Whitmer topping the list of potential running mates, with each receiving 21% support.
Shapiro came in third with 17% support and Kelly came in fourth with 13%. Cooper received 7% support.
Conducted on July 22, the poll sampled 1,309 U.S. adults and has a margin of error of 3.2 percentage points.
What betting markets show
As of July 23, Shapiro and Kelly are favorites to receive the vice presidential nomination among betting markets, according to USA Today.
“Kelly has been the early choice of punters at 11/8, followed most closely by…Shapiro, at 9/4,” William Kedjanyi, a political betting analyst at Star Sports, told the outlet.
Shapiro is considered the front-runner by betonline.ag, a digital sportsbook, according to odds released on July 21, Newsweek reported.
This story was originally published July 24, 2024 at 12:33 PM with the headline "Who will Harris pick as her running mate? What polls, betting markets show."