Josh Shapiro favorite to be Democrat running mate for Kamala Harris

Dean Etheridge
By , Updated on: Jul 31, 2024 12:00 AM
Democrat Vice-President Pick Betting and Futures

Joe Biden is out and Kamala Harris will now take on Donald Trump in the 2024 US Presidential Election later this year. Trump has named JD Vance to be his running mate. But only five minutes into the job, Harris is yet to name her pick. Josh Shapiro is the favorite with the bookmakers and in our latest political betting picks, we tell you if they have called it right.

  • The 2024 US Presidential Election is taking place on Tuesday, November 5th
  • Current US President Joe Biden announced he won’t be standing
  • Kamala Harris has received the backing needed to become the Democratic Nominee
  • Harris now needs to name her running mate

Who is the betting favorite for the Democratic Vice-President pick?

In the latest betting to be the running mate for Kamala Harris, the favorite with the bookmakers is Josh Shapiro at -250.

Second in the betting is Mark Kelly at +300, with Andy Beshear at +500, and Tim Walz at +650. The bookmakers seem to think it will be one of those four.

More political betting options can be found on our politics betting table. For more information on the Presidential Election, check out our US Election betting odds page.

CandidateBovadaBetOnlineBetUS
Josh Shapiro-250-250-250
Mark Kelly+300+300+300
Andy Beshear+500+500+500
Tim Walz+650+650+650
Pete Buttigieg+1500+1500+1500
Hilary Clinton+3500+3500+3500
Roy Cooper+3500+3500+3500
Wes Moore+6000+6000+6000
Gretchen Whitmer+6000+6000+6000
Gavin Newsom+6500+6500+6500
Michelle Obama+7000+7000+7000

Now let’s take a look at the favorites in more detail.

Josh Shapiro -250

Josh Shapiro is the heavy favorite with the best US political betting sites.

Shapiro is the governor of Pennsylvania, which also happens to be a must-win state for the Democrats if they want to win the election.

The swing state went to Trump in 2016. So it is vitally important the Democrats win it in November.

Josh Shapiro was elected in 2022 and has had high approval ratings during his time in office.

His popularity was never higher than when he captured national headlines with his handling of the collapsed bridge in Philadelphia in 2023, where he received a lot of credit for the speedy rebuild of critical infrastructure.

Josh Shapiro is Jewish and has voiced his support for Israel in their war in Gaza.

With Kamala Harris calling for an end to the war, she is perceived to be an opponent of the Israelis. The appointment of Shapiro could help limit the damage with floating voters who support Israel.

Such a move wouldn’t be the worst amongst the Asian communities in the swing states either.

Plenty of these communities previously abandoned Joe Biden. But regardless of her vice-president pick, Harris will likely regain these lost voters as she will be seen as a far better option than a pro-Israel Trump.

Josh Shapiro is our pick to be the Democrat Vice-President pick.

Josh Shapiro To be Democrat Vice-President pick
BetOnline
-250

Mark Kelly +300

Mark Kelly is a senator from Arizona, another swing state.

As a former Navy combat pilot and NASA astronaut, Kelly could be the sort of guy who appeals to conservative voters who aren’t keen on Trump, but see the Democrats as too soft on some issues that they find important.

One such issue is border control. This is a favorite attack line of Trump and an area in which Kelly has previously criticized Joe Biden’s record.

Mark Kelly To be Democrat Vice-President pick
BetOnline
+300

Andy Beshear +500

As a long-time close friend of Kamala Harris, Andy Beshear could be a good value betting pick at +500.

Beshear is the governor of Kentucky, a state which is a nailed-on win for Donald Trump. In 2020, the state gave Trump 62% of the vote.

There are exceptions to the rule here when a southern governor has run. In 1976, the state went blue when Jimmy Carter ran for President. The same thing happened again in 1992 and 1996 in favor of Bill Clinton.

Whether choosing Andy Beshear as a running mate would be enough to overturn Trump’s significant advantage here is very debatable.

Andy Beshear To be Democrat Vice-President pick
BetOnline
+500

Tim Walz +650

Tim Walz is the governor of Minnesota, who at 60, is a far more battle-hardened and experienced campaigner than the other names vying to get on the ticket.

Walz has been outspoken in his criticism of Trump and Vance, gaining traction by simply describing the duo as 'weird.'

He served 12 years in Congress before becoming governor of Minnesota in 2018. With Minnesota traditionally a blue state, Harris wouldn’t be appointing Walz for any reason other than his knowledge and ability to talk to the American public in a voice they understand.

Tim Walz To be Democrat Vice-President pick
BetUS
+650

Anyone else?

Pete Buttigieg (+1500) is a name that pops up in these discussions. He would be seen as a safe pick, and at this stage of the campaign, Harris may need something more radical.

Buttigieg has a way with words. No one can deny that. But he can continue that whether he is the running mate pick or not.

The name of Michelle Obama (+7000) is also forever seemingly mentioned. She has expressed no interest in getting involved. And if she was going to, she would likely have thrown her hat into the ring by now.

Gavin Newsom (+6500) was in the running to be Biden’s replacement. He may be considered more of a Presidential candidate further down the road should Trump defeat Harris in November. He is also unlikely to get the pick.

Out of the names listed above, Pete Buttigieg would be the most likely.

Pete Buttigieg To be Democrat Vice-President pick
BetUS
+1500

Make sure you check out our top-rated sportsbooks below. These are our recommended betting partners that you can read more about on our sportsbook reviews page:

  • EXCLUSIVE BONUS
    Bovada
    4.3/5
    50% bonus up to $250
    No Code Needed
    Play Now

    T&C apply, 18+, Play responsibly

  • BetOnline
    100% bonus up to $1000
    No Code Needed
    Play Now

    T&C apply, 18+, Play responsibly

  • EXCLUSIVE BONUS
    BetUS
    4.4/5
    125% up to $2,500
    No Code Needed
    Play Now

    T&C apply, 18+, Play responsibly

  • Xbet
    4.3/5
    $500 Sign-up Bonus
    No Code Needed
    Play Now

    T&C apply, 18+, Play responsibly

  • BetNow
    4.5/5
    100% up to $1,000
    No Code Needed
    Play Now

    T&C apply, 18+, Play responsibly

  • MyBookie
    50% bonus up to $1000
    No Code Needed
    Play Now

    T&C apply, 18+, Play responsibly

  • Bookmaker
    100% up to $400
    No Code Needed
    Play Now

    T&C apply, 18+, Play responsibly

  • Sportsbetting
    3.6/5
    50% up to $1000
    No Code Needed
    Play Now

    T&C apply, 18+, Play responsibly

  • EveryGame
    3.5/5
    $500 Sign Up Bonus
    No Code Needed
    Play Now

    T&C apply, 18+, Play responsibly

  • WagerWeb
    3.5/5
    100% up to $1,000
    No Code Needed
    Play Now

    T&C apply, 18+, Play responsibly

  • BetDSI
    3.3/5
    100% up to $500 + $500 at BetDsi's Casino
    No Code Needed
    Play Now

    T&C apply, 18+, Play responsibly

  • BetNow
    4.3/5
    100% up to $450
    No Code Needed
    Play Now

    T&C apply, 18+, Play responsibly

Meet the author

Dean Etheridge

Dean is an experienced freelance content writer who honed his skills by writing for his own football betting website for over 15 years. In more recent times, Dean has extended his sports writing portfolio to cover a whole host of other sports including golf, tennis,...

Online Sports Betting may receive compensation if you sign up through our links. Rest assured, we avoid biases and provide honest opinions on sportsbooks. Read our affiliate disclosure here.