Democratic Governors of Republican States: What Kamala Harris can Learn from her Potential Vice-Presidential Candidates

Matt Bernardini argues that the Democrats can ensure they win crucial swing states by following the leads of some highly effective midwestern Governors.

Kamala Harris, Washington, 25 July 2024. Photo: Julia Nikhinson/Associated Press/Alamy

New life has been injected into a presidential race that just recently was looking like it could usher in a return of governance by a convicted felon. After an onslaught of pressure from the leaders of the Democratic party and a plethora of bad polling, President Joe Biden finally relented and announced that he would not run for another term. 

While the next Democratic nominee has not been officially selected, all signs point to Vice President Kamala Harris as the one who assume the role as the next standard bearer of the Democratic party. Recent polls show better results for Harris against Donald Trump, but they also indicate that the election is likely to be close, particularly in a handful of swing states. Because of America’s insane electoral college system, most of the focus will be on several midwestern states, along with Arizona, Nevada and Georgia. 

This has led to increased scrutiny among Harris’s potential Vice Presidential picks. Currently, the leading candidates appear to be Senator Mark Kelly of Arizona and Governors Josh Shapiro of Pennsylvania and Roy Cooper of North Carolina, with Minnesota Governor Tim Walz and Kentucky Govenor Andy Beshear also still in the mix. The commonality between these candidates, aside from Beshear, is that they all hail from swing states that are crucial to a Democratic victory. With this in mind, Democrats are clearly focusing on how to appeal to these voters, and strategists seem to think that picking a familiar politician to join the ticket is one strategy. 

Yet there is another way that the Democrats can ensure they win these crucial swing states; by following the leads of midwestern governors. In particular, Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer, Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear, and Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, have shown that they can not only win in competitive states, but also pass progressive legislation that provides for material improvements in people’s lives.