Kamala Harris now has a clear path to the Democratic nomination, but the most pressing question is who will be her running mate to face Donald Trump and JD Vance in the November general election.

It is likely Harris will pick someone to win votes where she will struggle, unlike Trump’s pick JD Vance, with many Midwestern candidates being touted for their ability to help her in key swing states such as Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin.

Josh Shapiro

If Harris wants to carry the must-win state of Pennsylvania, where Biden was polling 4 per cent behind Trump, then choosing Governor Josh Shapiro could be a strong choice.

The 51-year-old has worked his way up through state politics and the attorney general’s office before comfortably beating his Republican opponent in the 2022 gubernatorial election.

He has consistently outperformed presidential candidates in the state and was at the forefront of handling the failed assassination of Trump.

He has maintained consistently strong support and approval ratings from Republicans in his state.

Andy Beshear

Andy Beshear is an anomaly: A successful Democrat in deeply red Kentucky.

The state governor has already started sparring with Vance over Trump’s VP pick over claims that he is from Kentucky, that Beshear was handed the governorship by his father, and Vance labelling eastern Kentuckians “lazy”.

The most impressive part of Beshear’s success is that he has maintained a progressive agenda and policies, all the while still bringing electoral success in a state dominated by Republicans.

The 46-year-old is in his second term, after increasing his margin of victory in 2023 compared to 2019, and would offer an incredibly complementary contrast to the Californian-born Harris.

Pete Buttigieg

Buttigieg is currently the transport secretary in the Biden administration and he has a series of infrastructure wins to point to when making his case for higher office.

The former mayor of South Bend, Indiana, won the state of Iowa during the 2020 presidential election, before dropping out after other results didn’t follow, and has been a vocal supporter of Joe Biden.

Pete Buttigieg beat Joe Biden in the Iowa caucus in 2020, before eventually dropping out and supporting him. Photo: Getty

An openly gay navy veteran, Buttigieg may not be the man for the moment, but he has a long future ahead in the Democratic Party regardless.

Gretchen Whitmer

Gretchen Whitmer, another governor in a key state, has proven a popular figure in Michigan politics.

She has experience fighting Trump, going toe to toe with the former president during the Covid-19 pandemic over his response, and is a powerful public speaker who would give Vance a serious challenge during debates.

The strongest force working against Whitmer, however, is if the Democratic Party will take the risk of running an all-women ticket.

It could be a powerful influence in a year where abortion and reproductive rights could be on the ballot in a dozen states and her attempted kidnapping by extremists could be a counterweight to Trump’s narratives around his attempted assassination.

Still, it is unclear if America is ready for a woman president, let alone a full ticket.

She has endorsed Harris, but has already ruled out taking the VP spot.

“No, I’m not planning to go anywhere,” Whitmer said.

“I am not leaving Michigan.”

And the rest

Several other candidates could give Harris the balance required to confront Trump with a strong, country-spanning ticket.

Roy Cooper, a Southern Democrat who won his governor race twice in years that Trump carried the state, could help claw back the less than 1.5 per cent swing required to turn North Carolina blue.

Arizona senator Mark Kelly, a former astronaut who flew space shuttles on multiple missions, has won a super competitive seat in a key swing state, while JB Pritzker from Illinois has been a progressive behemoth in Illinois.