BROOKLINE, MASS. (WHDH) - As Vice President Kamala Harris gains support from Democrats, speculation is swirling over who she’ll potentially pick as her running mate.
Several names have already been floated as possible Harris running mates, like Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro, Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer, and North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper – all Democratic governors from key swing states.
“The number one things voters want is a younger candidate,” said Spencer Kimball, Executive Director of Polling at Emerson College. “Just being under the age of 60 is a benefit.”
Former Massachusetts Governor Michael Dukakis, who ran for president with Texas Senator Lloyd Bentsen in 1988, said that a good running mate selection is crucial.
“It’s important,” he said in an interview at his Brookline home.
Dukakis said he believes that the politicians whose names have been floated could be fit for the job.
“I think we’ve got a very strong bench and it’s going to be four interesting months,” Dukakis said.
New Hampshire Governor Chris Sununu said a swing state governor as a running mate would be the right move.
“If Kamala were smart, she’s going to pick a Republican or a Democrat governor, like a Shapiro or [Kentucky Governor] Andy Beshear, something like that,” Sununu said. “That’s a new, refreshed ticket.”
Former astronaut and current Arizona Senator Mark Kelly has also been mentioned, given that Arizona is a crucial battleground.
With a woman of color at the top of the ticket, Kimball doesn’t expect Democrats to double down on diversity.
“Realistically, the Dems would try to balance that ticket with a white male similar to how President Obama balanced the ticket with a white male in Joe Biden,” he said.
Polling from earlier this month showed Democratic voters slightly favored Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg over any potential candidate; he has already endorsed Harris for president after joining her Saturday at a Provincetown fundraiser.
“Pete was a popular candidate in 2020,” Kimball said. “He came on the scene out of nowhere.”
Kimball also said choosing a household name could help Harris as she tries to make up for lost time.
“Voters are going to want somebody that they know,” he said. “Having to introduce a new person to the electorate within a hundred days is going to be tough for people to absorb.”
One name notably missing from much of the VP speculation is California Governor Gavin Newsom. Even though Newson is often mentioned in Democratic Party circles as a potential presidential candidate, the Constitution does not allow for candidates on the same ticket to live in the same state.
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