The VP pick Kamala Harris wanted but couldn’t choose, according to her book
Kamala Harris revealed in her upcoming memoir, 107 Days, that she initially wanted Pete Buttigieg as her running mate in the 2024 election but chose Minnesota Governor Tim Walz instead, considering Buttigieg “too big of a risk” due to societal biases.
Former US Vice President Kamala Harris detailed why she ultimately chose Minnesota Governor Tim Walz as her running mate in the 2024 election, instead of her first choice, Pete Buttigieg.
Harris, in an excerpt from her upcoming memoir, 107 Days, obtained by The Atlantic, described Buttigieg, the openly gay former transportation secretary, as her “first choice” for the vice-presidential slot but later concluded he was “too big of a risk” for the ticket.
“Buttigieg would have been an ideal partner — if I were a straight white man,” Harris wrote.
She added, “But 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.” (The Atlantic)
Selection of Tim Walz
Ultimately, Harris selected Tim Walz, the governor of Minnesota, as her running mate. The ticket went on to lose the popular vote, the Electoral College, and every swing state to Donald Trump in 2024.
Praise for Buttigieg
Harris highlighted Buttigieg’s qualities in her book, calling him “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.”
“I love Pete,” she wrote. “I love working with Pete. He and his husband, Chasten, are friends.” (The Atlantic)
Buttigieg’s political future
Pete Buttigieg, who first gained national attention during the 2020 Democratic presidential primaries as mayor of South Bend, remains a prominent figure within the party and is considered an early favorite for the 2028 Democratic nomination.