NEW YORK – With Kamala Harris’ near-coronation as the Democrats’ presidential candidate, one of the biggest questions she faces is who to choose as her vice presidential running mate.
Having served in the role herself for the last three years, Harris understands that its power is largely symbolic but important.
Harris was crucial to Joe Biden’s candidacy not only because of her accomplishments, but because of what she represented: the first black woman to be a vice president and the highest-ranking African-American woman in elected office.
Even before she has even been confirmed as the Democratic candidate, the attacks on Harris are becoming ugly. The Republicans’ vice presidential nominee, JD Vance, has suggested that she is a welfare recipient – a racial dog whistle and crude stereotype about black people.
That makes it even more likely that Harris will choose a white man as her vice presidential pick.
Asking the US to elect its first female president is a big leap – just ask Hillary Clinton. So asking the US to elect its first black female president is an even bigger leap, especially in a year when Donald Trump is the Republican candidate and stoking racial divisions.
With her vice presidential pick, Harris will be looking to do what Biden did for Barack Obama as his vice president: give white Americans somebody with whom they can feel comfortable.
Fortunately for Harris, thanks to the deep bench of talent available to her, she has the opportunity to do more than that and neutralise some of Trump’s attacks against her.
Top of the list – or very near to it – will be the Arizona Senator, Mark Kelly, 60.
In an election campaign where Trump wields “patriotism” as a loyalty test, Kelly’s credentials are stellar. The son of two police officers who worked as a paramedic in his youth, Kelly is a former pilot and aeronautical engineering graduate.
He flew 39 combat missions in the Navy including during the Gulf War in 1991 before he and his brother Scott, also a former Navy pilot, were selected as astronauts by Nasa, and trained as Space Shuttle pilots.
In 2001 Kelly flew his first space mission, followed by three more including one where he commanded the International Space Station. The father of two has logged 50 days in space and travelled more than 20 million miles.
Kelly has also experienced tragedy. His wife, Gabby Giffords, a former Arizona congresswoman with whom he has two daughters, survived being shot in the head by an assailant during an assassination attempt in 2011. Six people died and Giffords remains partially paralysed. Since the attack, Kelly has become an outspoken advocate for ending gun violence.
Politically, Kelly has also been tested. He became a senator in 2020 in a special election following the death of Senator John McCain in Arizona, a key swing state, and defended it easily in 2022.
Being from a border state, Kelly would have the authority and background to challenge claims from the Republicans that Trump would be better at tackling immigration at the southern border.
As a veteran, he has taken up McCain’s mantle as an ardent defender of Ukraine, which would contrast with the opposition from Vance – also a veteran – to supporting the country against Russia’s aggression.
However, given Harris has not yet been confirmed as the Democrats’ presidential candidate, there has not yet been any public suggestion that she would choose Kelly or indeed anybody else.
Other possibilities for Harris include the Pennsylvania governor, Josh Shapiro, 51, who was previously Pennsylvania’s attorney general. Having two prosecutors take on Trump, a convicted felon, would be a strong message indeed for the Democrats. Likewise, having Shapiro on board would give them a huge advantage in Pennsylvania, another must-win state.
On the other hand, Harris may choose a more low-key candidate for her vice president and if so governors Andy Beshear of Kentucky, an attorney, and Roy Cooper of North Carolina have been floated as potential running mates.
The California governor, Gavin Newsom, appears very unlikely to want to play second fiddle to Harris given his own presidential ambitions.
Another option, which also seems unlikely, is that the Michigan governor, Gretchen Whitmer, joins Harris on the ticket. That would give them an all-female slate going into an election where abortion will be one of the central campaign issues.
Few expect this to happen, however; the more likely scenario is that Harris will play it safe and pair herself with a white man.