The former V.P.’s potential V.P. picks
Who will Joe Biden select? GovSight Political Director Joe Magliocco has some advice for the former vice president on his future one (?).
At the most recent Democratic debate, former Vice President (and likely Democratic nominee) Joe Biden committed to picking a woman as his running mate. In an election cycle that saw more women run for president than ever before, Biden not only has a long list of former candidates to pick from, but also has an incredibly deep pocket of Democrats across the country that could land on his shortlist.
At that same debate, Biden said that his main qualification for a running mate is that on day one, they are ready to be president. And since then, many names have been thrown around for whom Biden could be considering.
As political director, I have picked the three leading ladies who I think are most likely to soon stand by Biden’s side. While I have certainly left out notable options — such as Senators Amy Klobuchar and Elizabeth Warren — these dynamic Democrats are, perhaps, ones that have flown under the radar.
But not for long.
Senator Kamala Harris
Although her presidential campaign’s brightest moment arguably was her widely publicized attack on Biden at the first debate in June, Harris has drawn the former V.P.’s interest, especially following her recent endorsement of his campaign.
Before becoming a senator, she had a long career in California as both a prosecutor and the Attorney General; she certainly fits the bill of someone who is ready to step into the presidency on day one.
Perhaps her biggest strength? Incredibly high name recognition. As both a popular senator from the nation’s most populous state and a former presidential candidate, Harris would be a heavyweight at the bottom of the ticket that could buy Biden a first-class ride to the Oval Office. A dynamic and engaging campaigner, she would likely be the highest-profile pick that Biden could make while playing to his platform policies.
Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham
A former member of the U.S. House of Representatives and current governor of New Mexico, Grisham was the first Latinx woman elected governor of a state. Coming from a very prominent family, Grisham is a 12th-generation New Mexican who has transformed herself into one of the Southwest’s most prominent political players.
Grisham has proven to be a national leader on issues that Democrats care about most. Recently, she garnered national attention after warning sheriffs in her state that they must enforce the state’s red flag gun laws or resign; she has pushed to make public college tuition for all residents of New Mexico free and attacked the Trump administration’s weak Environmental Protection Agency.
Coming from the Southwest, Grisham could help Biden secure not just New Mexico, but also Arizona and Colorado: All three states are close to swinging either blue or red.
Former Georgia House Minority Leader Stacey Abrams
If you have not heard the story of the 2018 gubernatorial race in Georgia, Abrams will be the first to tell you that it was illegitimate. After being the first African American woman to receive the endorsement of a major political party for governor, her opponent — then Secretary of State Brian Kemp, who oversaw all of the state’s elections — purged 650,000 voters from the rolls; another 50,000 were pending just a month prior to the election.
However, since her loss under dubious circumstances, she became the first African-American woman — as well as the first person not holding office — to deliver the response to the State of the Union. She currently runs an organization to promote voting rights across the country.
After originally saying she did not want to join Biden’s ticket, she recently backtracked and expressed interest in an appearance on The View. As an electric speaker, she could be the bottle of lighting which bursts a Biden buzz, injecting enthusiasm ahead of Election Day.
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