A handful of Democratic governors are being thrust into the national spotlight as potential running mates for now-candidate Kamala Harris.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom, who has repeatedly been asked about his presidential ambitions, could be a major contender.
When news broke that President Joe Biden backed out of the presidential race and endorsed Harris, Newsom was fully on board to back a Harris bid.
"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 said on X.
"Kamala Harris is a patriot worthy of our support and she will continue the work of generations of Americans who came before us to protect our union," he said.
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Roy Cooper and Gretchen Whitmer, who have also endorsed Harris, are two other names to expect in the vice president conversation this week.
Cooper is the current Governor of North Carolina serving his second term and Whitmer has served as Michigan's governor since 2019. Both could help shore up support in their respective swing states.
Josh Shapiro is another one. He is the current governor of Pennsylvania, the swing state with the most electoral votes up for grabs. Shapiro has only been in office since the start of last year but he's a popular figure as he is Pennsylvania's highest vote-getter in gubernatorial history after winning 2022's election by 15 percentage points.
There's also chatter that Andy Beshear could make the short list of VP candidates. At 46, Beshear is young and has won the gubernatorial race in the deep-red state of Kentucky twice. While unlikely to flip how his state votes in November, the Thomas B. Fordham Institute describes Beshear as a moderate Democrat.
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Then there's retired astronaut Mark Kelly who has served as a Democratic senator for the swing state of Arizona since taking over John McCain's seat in 2020. Kelly has deep ties to the military, having served in the U.S. Navy as a combat pilot. He is married to former Arizona congresswoman Gabby Giffords.
J. B. Pritzker is also making his name known. The Illinois governor is the wealthiest politician in the country, which could come in handy on a shortened campaign. Pritzker has also been known to not hold back punches when speaking about opponent Donald Trump. He endorsed Harris on Monday.
Lastly, there is political newcomer Wes Moore, who serves as Maryland's 63rd governor. Only the third Black governor in U.S. history, Moore served in Afghanistan from 2005 to 2006 before becoming a successful entrepreneur who sold his businesses to help students transition to college.
