Updated July 30, 2024 at 09:55 AM ET
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Democrats are Vice President Harris's presidential bid, and now eyes are on who she could pick as her running mate, if she secures the party鈥檚 nomination.
In the weeks since President Biden鈥檚 poor debate performance, which pushed many on the left to amplify calls for him to drop out of the race, a handful of Democrats have been seen .
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Now, some of those same names are being floated as potential vice-presidential candidates.
Notably, most of these potential picks are under 60 years old, which could provide a strikingly different Democratic ticket than just last week. But the potential veeps have a different kind of challenge: low national name recognition and minimal time to change that.
Here鈥檚 who may be considered:
Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro
Shapiro leads a state that is crucial to this election 鈥� . Both Republicans and Democrats know the stakes here, as the state has seen more political ads than any other this cycle.
Shapiro is 51, , and the first-term governor delivered a sizable victory in 2022. He trounced his Republican competitor by nearly 15 percentage points.
The Trump campaign has put a lot of time and money into campaigning in Pennsylvania, knowing it has to pull out one of the bricks from Democrats鈥� so-called Blue Wall states of Pennsylvania, Michigan or Wisconsin. To this point, Trump has had a narrow polling advantage in the state.
But, while Shapiro may be a household name in his state, he, like many others on this list, is nationally. So, while he has a reputation as a competent governor and former state attorney general, his broader appeal is a question mark.
Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear
Beshear is part of a small club within the party of Democratic governors who lead ruby-red states.
He鈥檚 also maintained popularity and has gained a reputation as someone who works well with both parties. Beshear had a 52% approval rating, with only 29% disapproving, according to an . That鈥檚 notable popularity, given Biden received much lower marks in the state.
If Harris, 59, picks Beshear, 46, it would be the youngest Democratic presidential ticket since former President Bill Clinton and former Vice President Al Gore ran more than 30 years ago. Their combined age is only three years older than the 2012 Republican ticket of Mitt Romney and former Wisconsin Rep. Paul Ryan.
Like Shapiro, Beshear is also not known on the national stage. And he does not come from a swing state.
North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper
Cooper pulled himself out of consideration on July 29, that it "just wasn't the right time for North Carolina and for me to potentially be on a national ticket."
Democrats are hoping to flip North Carolina this fall. In 2020, Biden lost the state by less than 2 percentage points, and having Cooper, 67, on the ticket, Democrats hope, could help make up that difference and deliver a much-needed 15 electoral votes.
Harris has been a frequent visitor to the Tar Heel state throughout Biden鈥檚 term. Her trip to Fayetteville, N.C., last week marked her 15th stop there since taking office and her seventh this year, according to the White House. On many of those trips, she鈥檚 appeared alongside Cooper.
Harris and Cooper have also known each other for more than a decade, first working together when Cooper was state attorney general, and Harris served in the same role in California. Cooper is term-limited as governor and will be leaving office at the end of the year.
For Cooper, his biggest obstacles are a lack of national name recognition, his age and that North Carolina is seen as a political reach for Democrats this year.
Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg
Buttigieg鈥檚 2020 presidential bid makes him a more recognizable face on the campaign trail. As a member of the Biden administration and a former mayor of a small city in Indiana, he could speak to the White House鈥檚 record and also potentially appeal to Midwest voters.
He鈥檚 also seen as one of the Democratic Party鈥檚 best messengers, willing to debate seemingly anyone on any outlet, including Fox News. He鈥檚 acquitted himself well in those settings and during congressional hearings, defending the Biden administration鈥檚 policies and the president himself.
The 42-year-old cabinet official would join Republican Vice Presidential nominee J.D. Vance as the second Millennial on a presidential ticket. Buttigieg and Harris would also be the youngest ticket for Democrats in three decades.
Buttigieg is the to hold a cabinet position. And he would be the first to appear on a major party ticket. Even with his prominent position in the Biden Cabinet and his 2020 campaign run, still about half of Americans don鈥檛 have an opinion on him, according to a .
Arizona Sen. Mark Kelly
Kelly, 60, represents another key swing state in the presidential race. The 60-year-old is a former astronaut and the husband of former Arizona Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, who was seriously injured in a mass shooting in 2011 and has proven to be a strong fundraiser for Democrats.
Kelly has joined Giffords as a loud voice on gun violence prevention. Harris has also made throughout her time as vice president. Kelly could also help blunt the GOP message on immigration, given he鈥檚 from a border state and has put some separation between himself and Biden on border policy.
He and Giffords also recently about their struggle to have a child together and revealed that she was undergoing IVF treatments during the time she was shot. Women鈥檚 reproductive rights are also a major issue in this campaign.
Kelly鈥檚 seat isn鈥檛 up until 2028, but if Kelly were to join Harris on the ticket 鈥� and they win, it would certainly create a competitive race. While Kelly cuts a good profile, he鈥檚 also untested nationally.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom
Newsom, 56, is one of the most recognizable governors in the country. He鈥檚 long been a and has been a key Biden ally throughout this campaign.
He is also seen as one of the Democratic Party鈥檚 best messengers with a facility for facts and numbers that stands as a stark contrast to President Biden. He gained a degree of notoriety for sitting for hour-long interviews with Fox News鈥檚 Sean Hannity and then debating Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on the conservative cable outlet.
The California governor has, though, longstanding dating back early in his career. And if he ran with Harris, they would be an all-California ticket, which could draw ire from the right and present a .
Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker
Pritzker is a 59-year-old progressive who has been a vocal supporter of Biden and often goes on the offensive against Trump.
Despite his wealth, he has a blue-collar appeal, and he鈥檚 from the Midwest, which could help with those key Blue Wall states.
But he hails from another blue state, so he may not offer much additional electoral pull for Harris 鈥� and he鈥檚 not well known.
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz
Walz has emerged as a surprisingly serious VP contender. He isn鈥檛 necessarily from a state considered a swing state since Republicans haven鈥檛 won Minnesota in a presidential election for 52 years.
But it was close in 2016, less than 2 points, and he could potentially have appeal in the Upper Midwest beyond Minnesota, where Democrats need to win.
His biggest contribution to the ticket could be his appeal to 鈥渘ormal鈥� and a Harris validator. A of him attacking Trump and his running mate, JD Vance, in which he crisply describes them and their policies as 鈥渨eird,鈥� has been viewed 4.7 million times as of Sunday afternoon. He also does about as good a job as any Democrat in .
In addition to being the governor of Minnesota, the 60-year-old, who grew up in rural Nebraska, is also the head of the Democratic Governors Association and a decorated Army veteran.
Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer
Whitmer, 52, has been a rising star in the Democratic Party since she won the governor鈥檚 race in 2019. She was on the shortlist of names for Biden鈥檚 potential VP pick in 2020 and served as a co-chair of Biden鈥檚 reelection campaign.
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