What to know about potential Harris VP Andy Beshear, Kentucky Gov. and Vance critic

Just days after Joe Biden exited the 2024 race on Sunday, Kamala Harris’ presidential campaign and speculation about who will join her on the Democratic ticket are in full swing.

Within three days, the vice president secured key endorsements, received more than $100 million in donations and gained widespread support from delegates. With the debate about who will replace Biden all but over, the focus has shifted to discussions about who Harris will select as her running mate.

According to earlier reporting by USA TODAY, the Harris campaign has already requested vetting materials from at least seven Democrats under consideration to be her vice president.

While the campaign has not yet publicly confirmed any potential vice presidential nominees, the conversation about Beshear being a candidate has not stopped. ABC News also reported that the campaign was vetting him.

More: Harris’ VP options: From Josh Shapiro to Mark Kelly, sizing up the slate’s pros and cons

Who is Andy Beshear?

Beshear, 46, was first elected governor of the Bluegrass State in 2018, and his current term ends in 2027. Like Harris, he is a former state attorney general. He served Kentucky in that position from 2016 to 2019.

As a Democrat representing a reliably red state, the governor explained that the party needs a “unifying message” to win in November.

“The message ought to be: I’m in this to build a better life for everyone. Not just Democrats. Not just Republicans,” he said on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” on Monday.

In 2019, the governor signed an executive order restoring the voting rights of more than 140,000 convicted felons with completed sentences, addressing one of the country’s highest rates of voter disenfranchisement. The order was similar to one his father and former Kentucky Gov. Steve Beshear issued in 2015, which was promptly rescinded by former Gov. Matt Bevin shortly after he took office the same year.

Will Harris select Beshear for VP?

Beshear said Harris has his “full endorsement” in the presidential race and would do all he could to support her during his MSNBC appearance. When asked if her campaign had reached out to vet him as a potential running mate, he said, “I don’t know how that process is going to work, (but) it’s flattering to be a part of it.

He also criticized former President Donald Trump’s running mate, JD Vance, proving he could be an effective attack dog for the Harris campaign.

“I want the American people to know what a Kentuckian is and what they look like because let me just tell you that JD Vance ain’t from here,” Beshear said.

The VP nominee short-list is believed to include Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper, Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, U.S. Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker, and Cedric Richmond, a former congressman from Louisiana who served as a top aide in the Biden White House and on his campaign.

On Wednesday, comments from the Harris campaign downplayed the VP rumors and said any reporting on developments or updates in Vice President Harris’ running mate search is “premature and speculative.”

Rachel Barber is a 2024 election fellow at USA TODAY, focusing on politics and education. Follow her on X, formerly Twitter, at @rachelbarber_