Speculation grows for potential Harris running mate

[LAUREN TAYLOR]

PRESIDENT BIDEN OVER THE WEEKEND ENDORSED VICE PRESIDENT KAMALA HARRIS TO REPLACE HIM AS THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY’S 2024 NOMINEE. 

SHOULD HARRIS LOCK DOWN THE NOMINATION AT THE DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL CONVENTION NEXT MONTH, WHO WILL BE HER RUNNING MATE?

SEVERAL NAMES HAVE BEEN FLOATED — HERE ARE SOME OF THEM…

FIRST-TERM PENNSYLVANIA GOVERNOR JOSH SHAPIRO.

HE QUICKLY THREW HIS SUPPORT BEHIND HARRIS SUNDAY – AFTER BIDEN’S ANNOUNCEMENT, SAYING “the road to victory in November runs right through Pennsylvania – where this collective work began. I will do everything I can to help elect Kamala Harris as the 47th President of the United States.”

SHAPIRO SERVED AS HIS STATE’S ATTORNEY GENERAL BEFORE DEFEATING REPUBLICAN DOUG MASTRIANA IN 2022’S GUBERNATORIAL RACE.

THE SWING STATE GOVERNOR NOTED THAT HE’S KNOWN HARRIS FOR MORE THAN TWO DECADES AS THEY’VE BOTH BEEN PROSECUTORS WHO HAVE “FOUGHT FOR THE PEOPLE.”

SHAPIRO, WHO IS JEWISH, HAS BEEN VOCAL IN HIS PUBLIC SUPPORT FOR ISRAEL IN IT’S WAR AGAINST HAMAS.

NEXT UP IS 60-YEAR-OLD ARIZONA SENATOR MARK KELLY.

HE’S A COMBAT VETERAN AND FORMER ASTRONAUT WHO’S A MEMBER OF THE SENATE INTELLIGENCE COMMITTEE. 

HE WAS FIRST ELECTED TO THE SENATE IN A SPECIAL ELECTION IN 2020 AND THEN AGAIN IN 2022.

KELLY ENDORSED HARRIS SUNDAY AFTERNOON, WRITING IN A POST ON X “I COULDN’T BE MORE CONFIDENT THAT VICE PRESIDENT @KAMALAHARRIS IS THE RIGHT PERSON TO DEFEAT DONALD TRUMP AND LEAD OUR COUNTRY INTO THE FUTURE. SHE HAS MY SUPPORT FOR THE NOMINATION, AND GABBY AND I WILL DO EVERYTHING WE CAN TO ELECT HER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES.”

 THE SWING STATE SENATOR IS MARRIED TO FORMER ARIZONA CONGRESSWOMAN GABBY GIFFORDS WHO WAS SHOT IN 2011 AND SURVIVED THE ATTEMPTED ASSASSINATION.

ALSO ON THE LIST  IS TRANSPORTATION SECRETARY -PETE BUTTIGIEG – WHO ALSO GAINED NOTORIETY AS “MAYOR PETE” AFTER RUNNING FOR PRESIDENT IN 2020.

BUTTIGIEG IS 42 YEARS OLD – HE SERVED IN THE NAVY AND DEPLOYED TO AFGHANISTAN – AND ALSO ENDORSED HARRIS QUICKLY AFTER SUNDAY’S ANNOUNCEMENT, WRITING ON X: “I WILL DO ALL THAT I CAN TO HELP HER WIN THIS ELECTION TO LEAD AMERICA FORWARD AS OUR NEXT PRESIDENT.”

AS TRANSPORTATION SECRETARY – BUTTIGIEG HAS OVERSEEN SEVERAL THE GOVERNMENT’S HANDLING OF TRANSPORTATION DISASTERS, INCLUDING THE EAST PALESTINE, OHIO TRAIN DERAILMENT AND GLOBAL SUPPLY CHAIN SNARLS RELATED TO THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC.

ANOTHER NAME THAT COULD APPEAR BESIDE HARRIS ON THE TICKET IS KENTUCKY GOVERNOR ANDY BESHEAR.

A TWO-TIME DEMOCRATIC GOVERNOR IN A RED STATE – 46-YEAR-OLD BESHEAR ENDORSED HARRIS AS THE PARTY’S NOMINEE MONDAY.

HE WAS ALSO ASKED ABOUT THE POSSIBILITY OF BECOMING HARRIS’ RUNNING MATE.

(GOV. ANDY BESHEAR / D-KY)

“LET ME FIRST SAY I LOVE MY JOB. I LOVE SERVING THE PEOPLE OF KENTUCKY. THE ONLY WAY I WOULD CONSIDER SOMETHING OTHER THAN THIS CURRENT JOB IS IF I BELIEVED I COULD FURTHER HELP MY PEOPLE AND TO HELP THIS COUNTRY.”

[LAUREN TAYLOR]

OTHER NAMES INCLUDE: MARYLAND GOVERNOR WES MOORE, VIRGINIA SENATOR MARK WARNER, CALIFORNIA GOVERNOR GAVIN NEWSOM AND MICHIGAN GOVERNOR GRETCHEN WHITMER.

BOTH NEWSOM AND WHITMER HAVE REPORTEDLY TOLD SENIOR PARTY LEADERS THEY’RE NOT INTERESTED IN BECOMING HARRIS’ RUNNING MATE.

THE DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL CONVENTION GETS UNDERWAY AUGUST 19TH.

FOR SAN, I’M LAUREN TAYLOR

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