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Joe Biden recently made history by endorsing Vice President Kamala Harris for the 2024 presidential race after dropping out. With Harris likely to secure the nomination, the focus shifts to her choice of running mate.
The list of potential candidates includes Governors Newsom (CA), Whitmer (MI), Beshear (KY), Shapiro (PA), Pritzker (IL), and Cooper (NC), along with Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg and U.S. Senator Mark Kelly (AZ). Although Newsom and Whitmer are strong candidates, Whitmer has reportedly declined the spot. Newsom, meanwhile, is from California, just like Harris. The Constitution prohibits a ticket with two people from the same state, and while they could solve that by having one of them change their official residence, it may come off as manipulative and unpopular, especially when MAGA Republicans paint California as a “woke” state.
In a race that may hinge on a few swing states, the most logical choice for Harris would be someone from a state that could swing the election. This leaves four other progressive Governors, along with Buttigieg and Kelly. Gov. Beshear is overwhelmingly popular but comes from deep-red Kentucky, which will likely be out of reach for Democrats even with him on the ticket. Gov. Pritzker comes from a safe blue state that Biden won by 17 points in the last election, offering little appeal in terms of changing the election outcome.
While Secretary Buttigieg is a strong candidate who made a name for himself after his 2020 campaign, he is openly gay, which will not be an issue for the Democratic base but will be a point of attack from Republicans and unfortunately may be something the country simply isn’t ready for. Furthermore, his 2020 campaign demonstrated his lack of appeal with voters of color, a crucial sector of the Democratic coalition that cannot afford to be lost this November.
At the time he ended his campaign, Biden was polling historically low amongst black voters for a Democratic candidate, and significantly lower than usual among Latino voters. While Harris is expected to shore up support in that demographic, recent polling still had her support at 76 percent among black voters, far down from the 89 percent reached by Biden and Clinton. A candidate not exactly known for his support amongst voters of color would not help when with this demographic.
Finally, Governor Shapiro and Senator Kelly are both viable options, yet they come from states where they would have to put their seats up for grabs risking a flip to red. Kelly is a rookie Senator who needs time to define himself. Shapiro, a first-term governor, has plenty of time before must give up his seat. Cooper, on the other hand, faces quite different circumstances.
Cooper is a termed-out Governor who must leave office at the end of the year anyway and comes from North Carolina, a state progressives eye as a possible state to flip this November. He is a staunch defender of abortion rights, which is the Democrats’ biggest strength. After finding success in the 2022 elections while talking about abortion rights, it is likely going to become a main talking point amongst progressive groups. After all, Trump was responsible for creating the court that overturned Roe. Having a candidate with a strong record defending a woman’s right to choose will likely provide a strong contrast to the former President. He is also generally popular in a right-leaning state, meaning he has broad appeal which will be crucial in an election that will likely come down to the independent vote.
Democrats have also made a move on North Carolina in recent years. After Bush blew out Gore and Kerry, Obama won the swing state in 2008, before it fell back into conservative hands in every election since then. Biden became the closest Democrat to winning the state after he lost by just a point and a half after a Democratic push to win the state. Cooper’s popularity in the swing state could give Democrats a big boost to the White House if they were able to flip the state again.
He has also worked well with Harris when they were both Attorney Generals, suggesting good chemistry on the campaign trail and potentially in the White House. As a moderate Southern male, Cooper balances Harris’s credentials and appeals to different voter demographics.
If Democrats want to win this November, they need to pick a running mate for Harris who balances out her credentials and makes them competitive in swing states, while maintaining a hold on the seats they already hold. Roy Cooper does all of that and more and would be the best choice as Harris’ running mate this November.
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Ethan Dumper is a youth journalist who covers national politics, women’s soccer, and current events. Major events he has covered include the 2020 DNC Debate in South Carolina, the 2023 RNC Debate in Simi Valley, CA, and roundtable discussions with Kamala Harris. He is a rising sophomore at Loyola High School of Los Angeles.
