Kamala Harris has disclosed that the running mate she eventually chose in 2024 was not her preferred option. In her forthcoming memoir 107 Days, she writes that she had another candidate at the top of her list but concluded the pairing would be too risky for the American electorate. She says the decision reflected her belief that the country was not ready to embrace certain political and personal identities together on a ticket.
The person she originally wanted was Pete Buttigieg , the openly gay transportation secretary. Harris describes him as her “first choice” and “an ideal partner if I were a straight white man.” She adds: “We were already asking a lot of America: to accept a woman, a Black woman, a Black woman married to a Jewish man. Part of me wanted to say, Screw it, let’s just do it. But knowing what was at stake, it was too big of a risk. And I think Pete also knew that to our mutual sadness.”
Harris ultimately turned to Minnesota governor Tim Walz , whose viral jab at Donald Trump and JD Vance — calling them “just weird” — had gained attention. The ticket went on to lose to Trump in both the Electoral College and the popular vote. In the book, she explains why Buttigieg had initially topped her shortlist of eight names, praising him as “a sincere public servant with the rare talent of being able to frame liberal arguments in a way that makes it possible for conservatives to hear them.” She adds: “I love Pete. I love working with Pete. He and his husband, Chasten, are friends.”
Buttigieg, a former mayor of South Bend, Indiana, became a national figure during the 2020 Democratic primaries and is seen as an early favourite for 2028. A June Emerson College poll placed him ahead of Harris in a potential Democratic contest, 16% to 13%. The Associated Press reported his office did not immediately respond to Harris’s revelation.
Beyond the running mate dilemma, 107 Days also delves into Harris’s strained relationship with Joe Biden ’s White House. She recounts feeling sidelined, claiming aides failed to defend her from constant mockery and often allowed hostile portrayals to dominate. Harris also criticises what she calls “recklessness” in Biden’s handling of his re-election bid.
The person she originally wanted was Pete Buttigieg , the openly gay transportation secretary. Harris describes him as her “first choice” and “an ideal partner if I were a straight white man.” She adds: “We were already asking a lot of America: to accept a woman, a Black woman, a Black woman married to a Jewish man. Part of me wanted to say, Screw it, let’s just do it. But knowing what was at stake, it was too big of a risk. And I think Pete also knew that to our mutual sadness.”
Harris ultimately turned to Minnesota governor Tim Walz , whose viral jab at Donald Trump and JD Vance — calling them “just weird” — had gained attention. The ticket went on to lose to Trump in both the Electoral College and the popular vote. In the book, she explains why Buttigieg had initially topped her shortlist of eight names, praising him as “a sincere public servant with the rare talent of being able to frame liberal arguments in a way that makes it possible for conservatives to hear them.” She adds: “I love Pete. I love working with Pete. He and his husband, Chasten, are friends.”
Buttigieg, a former mayor of South Bend, Indiana, became a national figure during the 2020 Democratic primaries and is seen as an early favourite for 2028. A June Emerson College poll placed him ahead of Harris in a potential Democratic contest, 16% to 13%. The Associated Press reported his office did not immediately respond to Harris’s revelation.
Beyond the running mate dilemma, 107 Days also delves into Harris’s strained relationship with Joe Biden ’s White House. She recounts feeling sidelined, claiming aides failed to defend her from constant mockery and often allowed hostile portrayals to dominate. Harris also criticises what she calls “recklessness” in Biden’s handling of his re-election bid.
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