Two governors considered possibilities to be Vice President Kamala Harris' running mate are no longer in contention.
North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper and Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer both say they will not be the Democratic Party's vice-presidential nominee. Their states are considered key ones in determining who wins the race of the White House in November.
Harris became the party's presumptive presidential nominee after President Joe Biden ended his reelection bid on July 21. Former President Donald Trump is the Republican nominee.
"I strongly support Vice President Harris' campaign for President. I know she's going to win and I was honored to be considered for this role," Cooper posted Monday night on X.
"This just wasn't the right time for North Carolina and for me to potentially be on a national ticket. As I've said from the beginning, she has an outstanding list of people from which to choose, and we'll all work to make sure she wins."
The New York Times reported that Cooper had concerns that conservative Republican Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson would mount a legal effort to usurp his executive authority while he was out of state.
Robinson is on the ballot this year to replace Cooper, who is term limited.
Whitmer, co-chair of the Harris campaign, ruled herself out of the vice president competition during an interview on Monday.
"I have communicated with everyone, including the people of Michigan, that I'm going to stay as governor until the end of my term, at the end of 2026," she said on CBS Mornings.
"I am not a part of the vetting."
Whitmer added that she expected Harris to announce "in the next six, seven days" who her running mate will be.
Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and Arizona Sen. Mark Kelly remain among the other contenders still in the mix to be in the bottom of the Democratic Party's ticket.
All four have signaled that they would step up if asked but none have hinted at their engagements with the Harris campaign, according to The Guardian.
Charlie McCarthy ✉
Charlie McCarthy, a writer/editor at Newsmax, has nearly 40 years of experience covering news, sports, and politics.
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