Who could be Kamala Harris’ VP if she replaces Biden?

White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre touts Indian American leader as the “future of the party”

As Indian American Vice President Kamala Harris emerged as the most likely replacement for President Joe Biden if he decides to bow out of the presidential race, speculation has started about who would become her running mate.

Names commonly floated as replacements for Biden at the top of the ticket, mostly governors serving as surrogates for the Biden-Harris campaign and who have high approval ratings in their home states, would appear most likely to be top contenders for her running mate, according to Forbes.

Forbes suggested California Gov. Gavin Newsom! Colorado Gov. Jared Polis and Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker, among the choices, but said they could be at a disadvantage in the hypothetical VP replacement race since they represent safely blue states.

Alternatively, potential picks like Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro could help the party shore up support in the crucial swing states where Biden is trailing former President Donald Trump, according to polling averages, despite winning both states in 2020.

Sen. Raphael Warnock, D-Ga., if chosen, could also shore up support among Black voters in the key swing state, where he’s proven he can beat Republicans—twice—in closely contested races, Forbes said.

Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., and Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg are other potential candidates who have national name recognition from their 2020 presidential campaigns, according to Forbes.

As of now, a scenario in which Harris would replace Biden and there’d be a mad dash to become her running mate, is purely hypothetical, Forbes noted.

Publicly, Biden has said he has no plans to drop his bid, and Harris has also expressed unwavering support for his candidacy, despite growing calls for Biden to step down in the race, including from at least two elected Democrats.

Privately, Biden has reportedly begun to acknowledge he may have to bow out of the race if he can’t right the course of his campaign in the coming days, CNN and The New York Times reported Wednesday, citing a Biden ally who has spoken with the president.

Harris, Whitmer, Newsom, Buttigieg, Pritzker and Klobuchar all poll behind Trump in hypothetical matchups, according to a CNN/SSRS poll, but they all also fare better than Biden, who trails the former president by six points. Harris performs best of the six, polling two points behind Trump.

Meanwhile, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre touted Harris as the “future of the party” on Wednesday.

Asked by a reporter whether Biden believes he is still a “bridge to the next generation of Democratic leaders,” as he described himself in 2020, Jean-Pierre answered in the affirmative and explained that’s why he chose Harris as his running mate four years ago.

“One of the reasons why he picked the vice president,” the press secretary said, “is because she is indeed the future of the party, and he’s very proud to have partnered with her and continue to partner with her.” The pair is “ready to go” and “ready to continue” in the remaining months before the Nov 5 election, she added.

While Democratic Party operatives and liberal media pundits have floated the idea of Harris or an alternative Democrat replacing Biden on top of the 2024 ticket, Jean-Pierre dismissed the idea during Wednesday’s White House press conference and maintained Biden would stay in the race.