Pennsylvania governor Josh Shapiro and
Arizona Senator
Mark Kelly have emerged as frontrunners for presumptive Democratic nominee
Kamala Harris’ choice of
vice president.
Both men are from key battleground states in the
2024 presidential race and have a history of defeating candidates endorsed by Donald Trump at the ballot box.
Some may see Shapiro as a good candidate for the ticket, as a fellow state attorney general. The 51-year-old is highly popular as the governor of Pennsylvania and enjoys the support of plenty of Republicans as well as Democrats.
In 2022, he beat the ultra-MAGA Doug Mastriano, whom Trump had endorsed.
In addition, when Trump sued Pennsylvania to challenge the 2020 election results, Shapiro beat him back in lawsuits.
US Senator Kelly is a 60-year-old former astronaut and Navy combat pilot. He won his seat in 2022, roundly defeating Republican challenger Blake Masters – another Trump-backed ultra-MAGA, who, like JD Vance, is a disciple of venture capitalist Peter Thiel.
The Senator is also a prolific fundraiser who would have little trouble bringing cash to the ticket with Harris. Picking Kelly may also signal that Democrats are serious about keeping the West in mind.
A border-state Democrat, Kelly could push back on criticisms from Republicans that Trump would be better at handling immigration.
As a veteran, he has taken up late Senator John McCain’s mantle as an ardent defender of Ukraine, which would contrast with Vance’s opposition to supporting the country against Putin’s aggression. However, his record in Arizona might lead Democrats to want to keep him in the Senate.
Both seem like pretty good choices