So We’ve Got Harris, But Who’s Her Vice President?

Since Biden dropped out of the race, Vice President Kamala Harris is poised to become the official Democratic candidate, but who will she choose to fill her role as she takes on Donald Trump over the next few months?

It seems Harris’ team has narrowed down her options for Vice President to five main contenders: Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, Arizona Sen. Mark Kelly, and Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg. All of these men have differing policies and backgrounds, so let’s explore these differences, good and bad.

Gov. Tim Walz

The Minnesota governor could appeal to red-state voters with his background as a teacher, high school football coach, member of the National Guard, and former member of the NRA. But he also supports several progressive policies that would make him a valuable Vice President pick to appeal to both Republicans and Democrats. 

Walz has supported the protection of reproductive rights several times. During his time as governor, Minnesota codified the right to reproductive freedom in their constitution. He also repealed Minnesota laws that criminalized some abortions, required clinics to report all abortions, and required women to wait 24 hours after an information meeting about abortions with their doctors. 

Throughout his career as the Governor of Minnesota, he has also legalized marijuana, expanded background checks for firearm purchases, spoken against book bans, and worked to decrease child poverty by instituting a ranked child tax credit. 

The Human Rights Campaign celebrated Walz for signing a statewide conversion therapy ban into the constitution, proving himself to be an LGBTQ+ ally, specifically for LGBTQ+ youth. As a vice president , it is possible that he could extend the ban on conversion therapy nationwide.

However, Harris might not choose Walz due to his being generally unknown throughout the greater United States, which might not get her the votes she needs from a vice president. He has also been called “too progressive,” which could make it more difficult for Harris to convince conservative and independent voters to vote for her.

Gov. Josh Shapiro

Pennsylvania is one of the most crucial swing states in this election, and having the commonwealth’s Governor as Harris’s Vice President pick could help her win its 19 electoral votes.

Shapiro has proved that he can appeal to rural voters, as he was able to campaign to the whole of the state during his run for governor. Like Harris, he has also been a state attorney general and involved in the state’s politics since 2005.

As governor, Shapiro has spoken in favor of reproductive rights, implemented automatic voter registration, and has been in favor of legalizing marijuana. He has also signed bills to expand insurance coverage for breast cancer screening and increased funding to provide free breakfasts to public schools in Pennsylvania. 

He has been a staunch supporter of LGBTQ rights, offering marriage licenses to same-gender couples in 2013, before it was legal in Pennsylvania, and has supported both trans children in school sports and trans people’s access to public bathrooms. 

However, Shapiro has faced backlash for his support of Israel and his equivocation of anti-semitism with anti-zionism. He also has been criticized by the teachers’ unions for supporting private school vouchers instead of properly funding public schools. These things could alienate Shapiro from the younger generation, the group from which Harris is receiving most of her support. 

Gov. Andy Beshear

The Kentucky governor is a rare example of a Democratic governor in a red state, meaning Harris could use him as a Vice President to appeal to rural communities and undecided Republicans, as well as to create a contrast with J.D. Vance, who often appeals to his family’s Appalachian background.

As Governor of Kentucky, Beshear has been reelected three times. He has decreased unemployment in the state, creating a record-low unemployment rate. He has also expanded healthcare access, took the first step towards legalizing recreational marijuana by legalizing it for medical purposes, and restored voting rights by allowing those who had finished their sentences for non-violent crimes to vote. 

Lack of access to healthcare and unemployment are massive issues within Appalachia, and Beshear’s targeting of these issues shows he knows how to tackle the issues most important to the people.

Beshear has also been applauded by the Human Rights Campaign for vetoing Senate Bill 150, which would have banned gender-affirming care for trans youth, forced teachers to disclose private conversations they’d had with students about their sexuality or gender identity, and banned trans students from using bathrooms or locker rooms that match their identity. 

Despite these positives, Harris might not choose Beshear as her Vice President due to his relative anonymity to the rest of the country, as well as his lack of D.C. experience. Harris’ team has said she is looking for someone with the experience to step in and help her govern from the beginning.

Sen. Mark Kelly

At the older end of the range of Harris’ candidates, Kelly is a 60-year-old Arizona Senator, as well as a former astronaut and Navy captain who is notably good at appealing to independent voters.

A popular Senator from a swing state, Kelly could help Harris gain the votes of border-state Democrats, who don’t agree with Harris’ border policies. Kelly’s history of pushing the Biden administration to have stricter border laws makes him a positive choice for Democrats who think Harris doesn’t know how to deal with the border. 

As a Senator, he has advocated countless times for more gun control, as his wife, former Representative Gabby Giffords, survived an assassination attempt. His policies are vastly more moderate than other candidates on this list, which could both help and harm Harris’ campaign.

The Human Rights Campaign endorsed Kelly during his original run for Senate and his run for reelection. He also co-sponsored the Equality Act, which would provide protections against discrimination based on gender and sexuality. 

Although he could positively impact her campaign, Harris also might not choose him because labor groups do not like him. Plus, if she chose him, there would have to be an emergency Senate election that would open a Senate seat to Republicans at a time when Democratic presence in Congress is essential.

Pete Buttigieg

Last but not least, current Transportation Secretary Buttigieg is the youngest of Harris’ candidates, at 42, with plenty of experience through his current role and his previous run for president in 2020. 

Buttigieg is a veteran who served in Afghanistan, and he is from conservative Indiana, where he still polled well during the Democratic caucuses in 2020, proving he can appeal to rural and independent voters. He is also a gay man, making history as the first gay Transportation Secretary, and if elected, he would be the first gay vice president.

As the Transportation Secretary, Buttigieg has helped design the $1.2 million Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, which was the largest federal investment in public transportation ever. He has also implemented several policies to increase transportation safety. During his time as a mayor in Indiana, he used his power to fight for the rights of LGBTQ+ Hoosiers during the Trump/Pence era. 

However, it is possible he is not chosen as Harris’ Vice President because it is unlikely independent voters will vote for a ticket of a gay man and a Black/Indian woman, as well as the fact that Republicans would point to failures in transportation over the last four years, even though many of those failures were due to a different governmental agency.

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