VP selection will be interesting, too, maybe a swing state choice... Hectic times...
From Forbes:
Names commonly floated as replacements for Biden at the top of the ticket, mostly governors who served 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.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom staunchly defended Biden following backlash over his disastrous debate performance against Donald Trump last month—but he and other potential options, like Colorado Gov. Jared Polis and Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker, could be at a disadvantage in the hypothetical VP replacement race since they represent safely blue states.
North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper campaigned with Harris in North Carolina this week, raising speculation he could run alongside her—something Former Democratic National Committee Chair Howard Dean told CNN on Thursday he would support, predicting Democrats would win North Carolina as a result (Trump is currently ahead in North Carolina by 6.8 points, according to Five Thirty Eight’s polling average).
Rep. Betty McCollum, D-Minn., called for her state’s Democratic governor, Tim Walz, to serve as Harris’ running mate Friday—Walz acknowledged Biden had a “poor night” in a PBS interview after the debate.
Kentucky’s popular governor, Andy Beshear, who has won his deep-red state twice, is another potential pick for the No. 2 spot on a new Democratic ticket, though Democrats would still be unlikely to win Kentucky.
Potential picks like Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro could also help the party shore up support in the crucial swing states where Biden was trailing former President Donald Trump, according to polling averages.
Sen. Raphael Warnock, D-Ga., if chosen, could also draw Black voters in the key swing state, where he’s proven he can beat Republicans—twice—in closely contested races.
Maryland Gov. Wes Moore is another rising star in the Democratic party, though he’s said he would not seek the Democratic nomination this year and continued to support Biden despite the debate backlash.
Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., and Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg are other potential candidates who have national name recognition from their 2020 presidential campaigns.
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.
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