IMAGE: Vice President Joe Biden | January 26, 2015 | Source: State Department photo/ Public Domain
As the campaign was winding down and the Coronavirus pandemic was just heating up, Joe Biden threw down the gauntlet. Speaking at the final Democratic primary debate the former Vice President declared: “I will in fact pick a woman to be Vice President”.
Speaking on the debate stage Biden said that there are a “number of women who are qualified to be president tomorrow” and that he was committed to choosing a woman to occupy America’s second highest office, just a heartbeat away from the presidency.
Pundits have been discussing who these potentially qualified women are, with Amy Klobuchar, Elizabeth Warren and Stacey Abrams all among those mooted to be in the running. But who is most likely to become Joe Biden’s running mate?
Elizabeth Warren 4/10
The last woman standing in the presidential primary, Elizabeth Warren is considered by most to be the second most progressive Senator in America – behind Bernie Sanders – making her the obvious unity choice for Biden. Warren has a strong track record on holding Wall Street to account, winning her significant support amongst the Sanders wing of the party.
Yet much of this good will was burned during the primary, with Warren attacking Sanders on his record over women’s issues and staying in the race rather than dropping out to unify the progressive vote. Although she is clearly the most progressive option, it is likely that she does not garner the same ability to unite the party as she once did and has perhaps weaved her way out of the reckoning for Biden’s top choice.
Amy Klobuchar 6/10
The self-styled mid-westerner has pitched herself as the one who can win back the rust belt. As a Senator for Minnesota she has gained significant support amongst the more established party elites, becoming a popular figure and performing surprisingly well in a crowded field during the Democratic primary.
Speaking frequently for Biden in television interviews, it is likely that Klobuchar sees an opportunity to become Biden’s VP but her record as a prosecutor makes her unpopular with progressive voters and may make her an unpalatable option when trying to enthuse voters across America.
“Kamala Harris remains the obvious choice for Biden and it is likely that she will be his running mate, providing a strong balance to the ticket…”
Stacey Abrams 4/10
Abrams lost a highly contested Gubernatorial contest in Georgia in 2018, an election which was steeped in controversy and almost certainly decided by many voters being struck off the register by the former Georgia Attorney General and Abrams opponent, Brian Kemp.
That Abrams is in the conversation for VP despite holding no public office and never being elected to a national government position is testament to her popularity and her skill as a politician. Abrams has been seen supporting Biden frequently in the media recently – including defending Biden against Tara Reade’s sexual assault allegations – suggesting that she is high on the Vice President’s radar. But as a largely unknown quantity in national politics, it is perhaps likely that Biden will choose a more recognised and experienced national figure.
Gretchen Whitmer 7/10
The popular governor of Michigan has gained traction in the betting markets recently, with her opposition to Donald Trump giving her a favourable position among the American electorate. Her high-profile battles with the president over ‘personal protective equipment’ (PPE) and testing perhaps makes her the ideal candidate to act as an antithesis to Trump.
Her chances are only helped by being from Michigan, a key battleground if Biden is to win back the White House in 2020. Her only drawback is that she is perhaps less well known than other candidates, but she is quickly becoming a hot favourite among the Democratic party leadership and more traditional political commentators.
Kamala Harris 8/10
The second African American woman ever elected to the senate – as she had to correct Joe Biden during one of the earlier Democratic primary debates. Harris is undoubtedly the favourite; young, female, and African American, she is the perfect candidate to balance the ticket for Joe Biden. This has led to traditional commentators backing her due to the affiliation of identity politics and Biden’s need to enthuse African American voters (not that he had trouble doing so in the primaries).
Her only drawback is that she may not secure the white working-class voters in the rust belt as well as Klobuchar or Whitmer might, but Harris is clearly the strong favourite and enthuses the democratic party like few other options. She is not popular amongst progressives but has appeared strong on women’s issues and fought for minorities; she is the obvious choice for Biden.
Wildcards
In what is likely to be the highest stakes election for decades Biden will likely want to pick a safe option, so a wildcard is perhaps unlikely. However, if Biden were to look further afield, he may look towards Rashida Tlaib, House Representative for Michigan’s 13th district. A more progressive name she would help unite the party but lacks the name recognition that would be required of a VP pick, despite her location in Michigan acting as a strong vote winner in the rust belt.
In a similar vain, Biden might look towards Barbara Lee, a progressive member of the House and a former chair of the congressional black caucus. Lee is a popular candidate among African American and progressive voters, but perhaps lacks the name recognition required of a running mate.
Finally, Nina Turner. She may have never been elected to higher office, but Turner is a progressive stalwart and a renowned campaigner from the Bernie Sanders wing of the party. She is a strong speaker and campaigner and would bring the energy that Biden might lack, but having only ever served a brief stint as a state senator and lacking any national name recognition, this is unlikely.
Kamala Harris remains the obvious choice for Biden and it is likely that she will be his running mate, providing a strong balance to the ticket, but representing a strong and nationally renowned name with the necessary experience and skill to serve just a heartbeat away from the presidency. It is hard to see anyone else being Biden’s running mate.
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Calum Paton is a History and Politics student at the University of Warwick. His writing predominantly focuses on American and British politics. Twitter: @Paton_Calum
