Who could be Kamala Harris’ running mate?

US President Joe Biden announced on Sunday that he is ending his re-election campaign and said Kamala Harris, his vice president, will replace him.

“I want to express my full support and endorsement for Kamala to be our party’s nominee this year,” he wrote on X. “Democrats — it’s time to come together and defeat Trump.”

A Harris takeover seems likely, though not certain.

Several others considered potential candidates to replace Mr Biden have endorsed Ms Harris. If the endorsement becomes official, a running mate will be needed.

Delegates will vote next month at the Democratic National Convention to formally confirm Mr Biden’s replacement and vice presidential nominee.

The following names may be on this list.

Gretchen Whitmer, the two-term governor of Michigan, is an increasingly popular Democrat in the Midwest who many experts speculate will run for president in 2028.

She campaigned for Mr. Biden and has not been shy about her political ambitions.

She told The New York Times that she would like to see a Generation X president by 2028, but did not address whether she could take on that role.

In 2022, she led a campaign that helped Michigan Democrats take control of the state legislature and the governor’s mansion.

That allowed her to enact a number of progressive policies, including protecting abortion rights in Michigan and passing gun safety measures.

Ms Whitmer quickly declared after Mr Biden withdrew that her job “will remain the same… doing everything possible to elect Democrats and stop Donald Trump”.

The California governor is one of the Biden administration’s strongest supporters.

He is often listed as a potential candidate for 2028, but many Democratic experts believe he could enter the race to replace Mr. Biden.

Mr. Newsom has raised his national profile in recent years by becoming a key messenger for the party in conservative media and through a debate with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis last year.

He stood by the president before his announcement. He traveled to Washington for meetings in July with Biden and other top Democratic governors, and headlined a Biden campaign event in Michigan on July 4.

Mr Newsom again praised Mr Biden as a “selfless” president after he withdrew, and said he supported Ms Harris’s “fearlessness” and “resilience” to take on Trump.

It’s no secret that Pete Buttigieg has ambitions to become president.

He ran for reelection in 2020 and is widely considered one of the Biden administration’s best communicators.

Mr. Buttigieg has dealt with a number of public crises during his time as transportation secretary.

He helped oversee the government’s response to the East Palestine train derailment in Ohio, the Baltimore Bridge collapse and the Southwest Airlines scheduling crisis in 2022.

Mr Buttigieg declared on Twitter/X that Mr Biden had “deserved his place as one of the best and most influential presidents in American history”.

He said he would do “everything I can to help elect Kamala Harris as the next President.”

Josh Shapiro has seen high approval ratings since he was elected in 2022 in a swing state that Trump narrowly won in 2016.

The governor, who previously served as the state’s attorney general, has worked across party lines during his tenure.

He made national headlines last year after quickly rebuilding a collapsed bridge on a key Philadelphia highway — a major political victory for a first-term governor.

The quick fix is ​​being hailed by many as the perfect infrastructure talking point for a potential 2028 presidential candidate.

Mr Shapiro said Mr Biden was one of the “most influential presidents in modern history” and would “do everything possible to help elect Kamala Harris as the 47th President of the United States”.

JB Pritzker, the governor of Illinois, has raised his profile in recent years by criticizing Trump and defending Mr. Biden.

The billionaire businessman – heir to the Hyatt hotel chain – was quick to post criticism of Trump on social media.

After the debate, he called Trump a “liar” and said he was a “convicted criminal on 34 counts who only cares about himself.”

Like Ms. Whitmer, Mr. Pritzker has a track record of completing items on the progressive Democrats’ to-do list on issues like abortion rights and gun control.

He said Mr Biden had run “one of the most successful and productive presidencies of our lifetime”. He did not comment on who would succeed him.

The list of potential nominees is not limited to these Democrats, as the party has cultivated a strong pool of talent.

Governor of Kentucky Andy Besheara second-term Democratic governor in a deeply conservative state who has attracted national attention since his re-election last year.

Governor of Maryland Wes Moore has been in the spotlight in recent months following the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore.

Senator Amy Klobuchar And Cory Booker has run for president and has some name recognition among Democrats.

Georgia Senator Raphael Warnockwho won a competitive Senate race in a swing state.

And Arizona Senator Mark Kelly is another name being discussed. He is a former US Navy pilot and astronaut who won a Senate seat in a key swing state.