How Kamala Harris's potential running mates compare on energy, tech, and labor

Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro is one of the leading contenders to be Harris’s running mate. Like Harris, Shapiro is a former attorney general and is just two years into his first term as governor.

He’s been a major advocate for innovation and made Pennsylvania the first state in the nation to sign a direct partnership with OpenAI to give state employees access to tools like ChatGPT. In October, he’s set to headline an event called AI Horizons, which was organized by a group that wants to make Pittsburgh a major tech city.

Although Shapiro hasn’t spoken much about cryptocurrency, two of his biggest donors as a candidate were crypto firms. Under his tenure, the Pennsylvania Department of Banking and Securities said it would recognize virtual currencies as “money.”

Shapiro has also delivered a sharp balance between clean energy and fossil fuels, developing a reputation as a centrist as attorney general by prosecuting natural gas drillers and pipeline builders for their behavior. Shapiro has also advocated for his state to generate 35% of its electricity from clean energy by 2035. He hasn’t, however, advocated for a ban on fracking or tighter regulation.

Further reading:

WTAE: Where does potential VP pick Gov. Josh Shapiro stand on the issues?

Axios: What to know about Josh Shapiro, Kamala Harris’s potential VP pick

The Conversation: Gov. Josh Shapiro has a reputation for getting things done in Pennsylvania – but not necessarily things all Democrats like

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz is another leading contender, although he is a relatively late entry to the so-called veepstakes. Walz was first elected to the U.S. House in 2006, won re-election five times, and became governor in 2019.

Under Walz’s tenure, Minnesota enacted investments in affordable housing, a tax credit aimed at low-income parents, and established the goal of a carbon-free electrical grid by 2040. By 2035, utilities must show that at least 55% of their energy sales are from renewable sources like wind, solar, hydroelectric, and biomass. Walz has also championed issues like free school meals for students and benefits for workers, such as increased protections for workers in Amazon warehouses and construction sites.

Further reading:

Star Tribune: What you should know about Gov. Tim Walz’s record in office amid VP speculation

The Washington Post: Could Tim Walz go from teaching history to being part of it?

The Wall Street Journal: Tim Walz Brings Folksy Demeanor, Liberal Record to Harris VP Shortlist

Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear is one of the few Democrats leading an otherwise red state. For some, that makes him a great candidate to help win over Republicans and independent voters. Much of his popularity also comes from his strong responses to natural disasters and the pandemic.

Although Beshear has acknowledged the threat of climate change, he doesn’t bring it up often while working on energy legislation.

In 2023, Kentucky was one of five states that rejected federal funding to create a climate action plan; a 2021 plan, Kentucky E3, promotes the use of both clean energy and fossil fuels. In April, the governor vetoed legislation promoting nuclear energy in his state, which relies heavily on coal.

He’s also signed into law tax breaks for cryptocurrency miners, some of which have invested in towns and repurposing abandoned mines. Last year, he signed a Republican-backed tax cut bill that lowered individual income tax rates.

Further reading:

NBC News: With Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, Democrats eye a VP pick who can win over blue-collar voters

The Independent: Insiders are torn on whether ‘nepo baby’ Andy Beshear should be Kamala Harris’s running mate 

Slate: Why It Needs to Be Andy Beshear

Arizona Sen. Mark Kelly is one of the few remaining politicians on the federal level who are on Harris’s shortlist. Kelly, a U.S. Navy veteran and astronaut, is also the husband of former House representative Gabrielle Giffords, who survived an assassination attempt at an event in Tucson in 2011.

Kelly has been a big player in the Senate since he took office in late 2020, cosponsoring legislation that enabled farmers to get incentives if they use techniques that store carbon, as well as a measure that put $4 billion for drought mitigation in the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). Arizona has received at least $10.5 billion in investments and incentives into clean energy from the IRA, which Kelly has said created more than 11,000 jobs.

However, Kelly is one of the candidates least favored by labor unions, which have been overwhelmingly supportive of former president Joe Biden and Harris. Although he has shown some recent support for the labor movement, the groups mainly favor other candidates, including Beshear. In fact, the heads of the United Auto Workers union and Transport Workers Union have come out against Kelly.

Further Reading:

NBC News: Border state hawk Mark Kelly as VP pick could help shield Harris on a major liability

The Guardian: Who is Mark Kelly, the potential vice-presidential pick from Arizona?

The Huffington Post: Mark Kelly, A Potential Democratic VP Candidate, Endorses The PRO Act