
Vice President Kamala Harris is now the most likely replacement for President Joe Biden after he dropped out of the 2024 race Sunday and endorsed her as the Democratic nominee—triggering a rushed competition among the Democratic Party’s rising stars to become her running mate.
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.