His decision came after mounting pressure from fellow Democrats after the 81-year-old’s disastrous June debate performance followed by weeks of failed attempts to reassure increasingly antsy supporters.
With Biden's endorsement, Harris must now consolidate support heading into the Democratic National Convention in Chicago next month and ready for a bruising battle against Trump. In a letter posted on X, Biden thanked Harris for her service.
— Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) July 21, 2024
“It has been the greatest honor of my life to serve as your president. And while it has been my intention to seek re-election, I believe it is the best interest of my party and the country for me to stand down and to focus solely on fulfilling my duties as president for the remainder of my term,” Biden wrote, adding that he would speak to that nation later in the week with more details.
Among the many questions stemming from the president's decisions is who Harris will choose as a running mate. As Governing reported on July 11 amid growing speculation about Biden's future, a considerable number of media reports quickly settled on the idea that she would probably choose a governor, such as Josh Shapiro of Pennsylvania or Andy Beshear of Kentucky.
He’s only been Pennsylvania’s governor for a year and a half but Josh Shapiro already had a national profile for some of the cases he prosecuted during his tenure as the state’s attorney general. He leads a critical battleground state with 19 electoral votes up for grabs. On Sunday, Shapiro released a statement about Biden’s long career in politics.
President Biden is a patriot who has served our country honorably in the Senate, as Vice President, and as one of the most consequential presidents in modern history.
— Josh Shapiro (@JoshShapiroPA) July 21, 2024
President Biden has gotten an incredible amount done to move our country forward, defend our democracy, and…
“President Biden is a patriot who has served our country honorably in the Senate, as Vice President, and as one of the most consequential presidents in modern history,” he said in a post on X. “President Biden has gotten an incredible amount done to move our country forward, defend our democracy, and protect real freedom. I am proud to work by his side and am grateful for his leadership and his unwavering commitment to delivering for Pennsylvania — the Commonwealth that raised him.”
Beshear is a popular Democrat in a deep red state, which could make him an attractive VP candidate for Harris. While a recent Reuters/Ipsos poll found 70 percent of Democrats nationwide had not heard of Beshear, the governor has lately taken steps to help build his reputation outside Kentucky, including traveling to out-of-state Democratic fundraisers and launching a PAC.
Last Thursday, as speculation about Biden's future continued to grow, Howard Dean, former chairman of the Democratic National Committee, floated a Harris-Cooper ticket during an interview on CNN.
“If the president decides not to run, I see Kamala Harris and I would hope Roy cooper, who is the former governor or the governor of North Carolina, who's not running again, I think it will be actually easier for us to win North Carolina,” former DNC Chair Howard Dean tells me pic.twitter.com/lvS8dZFuOI
— Abby D. Phillip (@abbydphillip) July 18, 2024
Other governors whose names are circulating after the weekend news are Maryland's Wes Moore and Tim Walz. Two other names — California Gov. Gavin Newsom and Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer — were also trending after Biden's announcement but only as alternatives to Harris at the top of the ticket.
It’s worth remembering why prognosticators immediately had governors in mind. One reason is obvious: Given the party’s precarious majority in the U.S. Senate, senators would basically be disqualified this year for fear of losing a seat. And, although Republican Mitt Romney picked Wisconsin Rep. Paul Ryan back in 2012, House members generally lack the name recognition to garner serious consideration.
Although recent nominees have mostly stopped considering traditional geographic ticket-balancing concerns, a governor from a battleground state such as Shapiro or Roy Cooper of North Carolina could potentially tip a swing state and help with its neighbors. “A regional pick of a governor makes lots of sense when winning a handful of crucial states is the name of the game,” says Saladin Ambar, who studies governors at Rutgers University.
It’s understandable why pundits figure Harris would turn to a governor. “Any governor will have some claim to outsider status with respect to Washington,” Ambar says, “and that is something voters continue to desire.”
