Harris’ possible running mates have record of securing reproductive rights post Dobbs

The Democratic Party kicked off its virtual roll call last week to formally nominate Vice President Kamala Harris as its pick for the next commander-in-chief. Harris is expected to announce her running mate soon.

Speculation over her vice presidential nominee has run rampant. States Newsroom’s Washington, D.C., bureau recently spoke with political experts who suspect Harris is looking for someone outside the Beltway to connect with voters.

According to media reports, she has narrowed her choices to four male governors and a U.S. senator — all white — who represent a mix of competitive and solidly, left-leaning states: Govs. Andy Beshear of Kentucky, J.B. Pritzker of Illinois, Josh Shapiro of Pennsylvania, Tim Walz of Minnesota and Sen. Mark Kelly of Arizona.

All five men have criticized the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to overturn the federal right to abortion, and they’ve backed policy to secure or expand reproductive rights in the two years since the Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization ruling. (The governors are also members of the Reproductive Freedom Alliance, a nonpartisan coalition of leaders dedicated to preserving the right to abortion and reproductive health post-Dobbs.)