Former Vice President Kamala Harris reportedly did not have Minnesota Democratic Gov. Tim Walz as her first pick for a running mate in 2024. According to an excerpt obtained by The Atlantic from her yet-to-be-published memoir, Harris initially wanted Biden’s Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg to be her vice president.
However, she ultimately didn’t pick him because she didn’t believe the nation was ready to elect a Black woman and gay man to the White House.
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‘Too big of a risk’
The revelation is part of her forthcoming memoir, “107 Days.” Harris believed the choice of Buttigieg was “too big of a risk” and ultimately went with Walz.
It’s reportedly unclear if Walz knew Buttigieg was her “first choice” before the excerpt’s release. Both Buttigieg and Harris have declined to comment on the matter. A source told The Atlantic that Harris did not talk about her reasoning with Buttigieg after she chose Walz.
The ‘ideal partner’
In her memoir, Harris reportedly called Buttigieg the “ideal partner – if I were a straight white man,” adding, “And I think Pete also knew that – to our mutual sadness.”
Harris reportedly valued Buttigieg’s ability to effectively communicate with Americans about domestic issues, writing that he has “the rare talent of being able to frame liberal arguments in a way that makes it possible for conservatives to hear them.”
Many political analysts see both Buttigieg and Harris as potential candidates in the 2028 presidential election, although, neither has indicated a plan to run.
Harris’ previously published excerpt
Harris’ latest admission comes after another excerpt from her memoir, also obtained by The Atlantic. The previous excerpt revealed she thought Biden should’ve halted his campaign for a second term sooner than he did and accused some within the administration of undermining her efforts as vice president.
Some former Biden administration officials responded to the excerpt with criticisms of her performance as vice president, while others defended her.
Harris’ book “107 Days” is due out on Tuesday.
