As Kamala Harris Joins Presidential Race, Who Could Be Her Running Mate?

Hours after President Joe Biden announced his decision to step down from the 2024 race to the White House, Vice President Kamala Harris, in a statement on X, said was "honored to have the President's endorsement and my intention is to earn and win this nomination."

With Ms Harris' entry in the US Presidential elections, the speculation about who could be her Vice President pick has begun. Among the names doing the rounds is Arizona Senator Mark Kelly. Within minutes of Harris' post, Senator Kelly put out a message on the microblogging site X sharing his support for her. "Kamala Harris is the right person to defeat Donald Trump and lead the country into the future." he said.

Senator Kelly was elected in December 2020 as a senator from Arizonan to fill out the remainder of John McCain's term. A navy veteran, who served as a combat pilot in Operation Desert Storm in Iraq and Kuwait, the lawmaker is also a former NASA astronaut. His first space mission was in 2001 aboard Space Shuttle Endeavour and a decade later, he commanded the Space Shuttle's final mission.

Senator Kelly has taken on the Republicans over issues like abortion and said Trump and his running mate JD Vance need to be kept out of office to restore abortion rights. In October last year, he travelled to Tel Aviv with a group of Senators and was reported to have pledged support for Israel in its war against Hamas.

Another possible running mate for Ms Harris, North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper has also backed her nomination. "She has what it takes to defeat Donald Trump and lead our country thoughtfully and with integrity," he said.

With a background in law, he took over as Attorney General in 2000. He was elected Governor in 2016 and re-elected in 2020. Governor Cooper has worked to combat the opioid crisis in North Carolina and is credited with launching the state's first Opioid Action Plan in 2017. He also helped formulate Carolina's first children's health insurance initiative.

Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro also endorsed Harris even as his name cropped up as a possible Vice Presidential candidate. Governor Shapiro said he will do everything he can to help elect Kamala Harris as the 47th President of the United States. As the Governor of the state where Donald Trump was shot at a week ago, Governor Shapiro condemned the attack saying, "Violence targeted at any political party or political leader is absolutely unacceptable."

Governor Shapiro assumed the office of the Governor of Pennsylvania last year in January. In 2016, he  was elected as Pennsylvania's Attorney General. In 2020, when the Republicans alleged the election was rigged, he defended Pennsylvania's election result, winning in court dozens of times before and after Election Day. During his tenure as Attorney General, he exposed the Catholic Church's decades-long cover up of child sexual abuse, identifying 301 predator priests and thousands of victims - and spurring investigations across the United States.

Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear is another leader speculated to be Ms Harris' running mate. At 46, he is one of the youngest Governors in US. Before being elected Governor, he served as the Attorney General. As Governor he has acted against legislation banning abortion.