Who Did Kamala Harris Pick as Her 2024 Running Mate for Vice President?

Now that Harris is the Democratic nominee for this year's presidential election, voters want to know who is her choice for VP.

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August 6, 2024 9:21AM EDT
Kamala Harris speaks during a 'First In The Nation' campaign rally at South Carolina State University
Image Credit: Getty Images

After three and a half years of serving as the U.S. vice president, Kamala Harris is the Democratic Party nominee for the 2024 presidential election. Now that President Joe Biden has stepped down from a possible reelection, voters have been speculating who could be Harris’ running mate.

Find out everyone who made her list for potential running mates and who she actually chose, below!

Josh Shapiro

Shapiro is the Democratic Governor of Pennsylvania. Before he was elected in 2023, the politician worked as Pennsylvania’s Attorney General, and he once served in the state’s House of Representatives.

Shapiro also endorsed Harris and pointed out that he’s known her for nearly 20 years throughout his political career.

“I’ve known Kamala Harris for nearly two decades — we’ve both been prosecutors, we’ve both stood up for the rule of law, we’ve both fought for the people and delivered results,” he wrote in a statement. “The best path forward for the Democratic Party is to quickly unite behind Vice President Harris and refocus on winning the presidency. The contrast in this race could not be clearer and 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.”

Mark Kelly

The Senator of Arizona is married to former Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, who survived an attempted assassination in 2011. Kelly has advocated for gun-control regulations throughout his political career. Before he embarked on his political journey, Kelly was an astronaut and flew on four space shuttle missions.

In his official endorsement statement for Harris, Kelly wrote via 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.”

Gavin Newsom

Newsom is the Democratic governor of California and has served in his position since 2019. Previously, the politician worked as the Lieutenant Governor of California from 2011 until he was elected as the state’s governor. Prior to this, Newsom was the Mayor of San Francisco from 2004 to 2011.

In his official endorsement for Harris, Newsom called her “tough, fearless [and] tenacious]” in a statement he shared via X.

“With our democracy at stake and our future on the line, no one is better to prosecute the case against Donald Trump’s dark vision and guide our country in a healthier direction than America’s Vice President, @KamalaHarris,” Newsom wrote.

Pete Buttigieg

Buttigieg has served as the U.S. Secretary of Transportation since 2021. He served as the Mayor of South Bend, Indiana, from 2012 until 2020, when he ran for president against Biden. As the first openly gay Cabinet member of the U.S. Senate, Buttigieg gained widespread support among younger voters and Democrats alike. Before the veteran embarked on his political career, Buttigieg served in the Navy in Afghanistan.

In his endorsement statement for Harris, Buttigieg called her the “right person to take up the torch, defeat Donald Trump and succeed Joe Biden as president.”

“I have seen her extraordinary leadership firsthand, working closely with her during the 2020 campaign and then in the historically effective Biden-Harris administration,” he continued in his statement shared via X. “I will do all that I can to help her win this election to lead America forward as our next president.”

Tim Walz

The Associated Press reported that Harris chose Minnesota governor Tim Walz to be her running mate. Walz previously worked as a high school social studies teacher and a football coach prior to beginning his political career. He also served in the National Guard for more than 20 years.