(NewsNation) — The Hill White House columnist Niall Stanage joined “NewsNation Now” to discuss the choices Vice President Kamala Harris has for a running mate in the 2024 presidential race.
Stanage said the U.S. is currently seeing a “public audition for the role of Vice President Harris’ running mate.” Harris is expected to announce her choice soon, as she and her pick will travel to seven key battleground states next week, according to her campaign.
One of the top contenders is reportedly Arizona Sen. Mark Kelly. Stanage said that Kelly would be a good choice for Harris because of her link to the Biden administration’s weakness on the topic of immigration.
“He would neutralize one of Vice President Harris’ biggest weaknesses,” Stanage said. “He demonstrated a more visceral understanding of why voters are concerned about that topic.”
Another contender being floated is Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, who was elected in 2022. Stanage told “NewsNation Now” that Shapiro’s high approval rating in Pennsylvania, one of the battleground states in this election, could be a “massive benefit to him and a massive potential asset to the Harris campaign.”
However, Shapiro’s pro-Israel stance could hurt his chances.
“He’s been very critical of some of the pro-Palestinian protests, and if he were chosen, I think we could expect to see some people on the Left of the Democratic Party express a lot of disenchantment,” Stanage said.
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz has also been a very popular choice on Democratic social media even though, according to Stanage, Minnesota will probably vote for the Democratic Party anyway, so there could be more “exciting” choices for Harris.
“With Gov. Walz, the idea is that you have this purportedly reassuring older white guy on a ticket with a woman who is seeking to become the first Black female president,” Stanage said.