With less than five months to go until Election Day, speculation is swirling about who Republican nominee Donald Trump might choose as his running mate. Here is a look at the top contenders and the strengths each might provide to the Republican ticket.
Ben Carson
Once Trump’s rival for the 2016 GOP nomination, Dr. Ben Carson, one of the world’s leading neurosurgeons before his entry into politics, went on to become Secretary of Housing and Urban Development for the 45th president. He was one of just four cabinet secretaries to serve the entirety of Trump’s first term.
This year, Carson has become a top surrogate for Trump on the campaign trail after endorsing him early in the primary, regularly appearing on TV to support the former president. As a black man, Carson has been especially effective making the case for Trump to African American voters – a demographic which polling suggests could swing toward Trump this November.
Carson’s deep Christian faith, which he speaks about often, would also help highlight Trump’s record of defending religious liberty and Christian values during his first term.
JD Vance
Entrepreneur and author JD Vance, now a freshman senator from Ohio, has made waves since coming to Capitol Hill as a savvy antagonist of the corporate media and fierce defender of President Trump’s America First agenda. Vance has proven particularly adroit at blasting Biden’s economic policies and his spending enormous sums on foreign aid while the American people face a plethora of crises at home.
As a former Marine, Vance has also been outspoken about ending the left-wing politicization of the military, and he has become a top critic of Biden’s border failures.
Vance’s firm grasp of populist policies, molded by his upbringing in a blue-collar rust belt town in southwest Ohio, could make him especially appealing as a vice-presidential candidate as Trump looks to retake Michigan, Wisconsin, and Pennsylvania this year. Vance has demonstrated a deep understanding of the political and societal forces which led to the economic struggles of this region, and would likely prove an especially effective communicator to voters there.
Bill Hagerty
Bill Hagerty, the junior senator from Tennessee, is perhaps a more under-the-radar VP contender, but could nonetheless prove a strong addition to the GOP ticket.
Prior to his run for Senate, Hagerty served as Commissioner of the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development, where he played a major role in bringing significant investments from Bridgestone, Nissan, and other companies to the Volunteer State. His expertise in finance and international business could make him especially well-suited to assist Trump in re-shoring manufacturing jobs and shaking off the economic malaise of the Biden years.
Hagerty also has personal history with Trump, serving as the U.S. Ambassador to Japan from 2017 to 2019. With China posing a mounting threat to American security interests in the South Pacific, Hagerty’s first-hand experience in the region is another potential upside of having him in the vice presidency.
In the Senate, Hagerty has proven himself a courageous defender of conservative values. Back in 2021, Hagerty made a bold last stand against Biden’s $1.2 trillion inflation-causing infrastructure bill that has turned out to be little more than a slush fund for liberal pet projects, even despite immense pressure from other Republicans to relent and allow final passage of the bill. For a freshman senator to show such backbone speaks volumes about Hagerty’s commitment to core conservative principles – something Americans would well appreciate in a VP pick.
Marco Rubio
Florida Senator Marco Rubio – another of Trump’s 2016 challengers – has remained a top supporter of the former president and could be a strong compliment to the ticket.
Along with black voters, Trump has also seen significant polling gains with Hispanics. Rubio, who is bilingual, would likely help boost Trump even further with this demographic.
Rubio is the most experienced politician of those reportedly under consideration to become Trump’s running mate, having served in the Senate since 2011. His relationships there and understanding of the legislative process could prove helpful in passing Trump’s agenda if he is re-elected.
One potential complication with selecting Rubio is that Trump is also a Florida resident, and the Constitution prohibits the president and vice president candidate from being from the same state. While Trump could change his residency, a Rubio selection could still raise some thorny legal questions.
Tim Scott
South Carolina Senator Tim Scott is another seasoned operator in Congress’s upper chamber, having served there since 2013. In that time, he has effectively navigated between the caucus’s more establishment wing and newer more populist members, a skill which could be useful as an ambassador for Trump on Capitol Hill.
Like Carson, Scott has also focused on appealing to black Americans to make the case for Trump, and recently launched a $14 million outreach effort to minority voters.
Doug Burgum
North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum is perhaps the most surprising candidate on every short list of VP contenders. A largely unknown politician before announcing his longshot bid for the presidency last year, Burgum has nonetheless become a fixture at Trump campaign events after dropping out of the race in December.
In particular, Burgum has established himself as knowledgeable on energy, the economy, and foreign policy, and as an effective critic of Biden’s electric vehicle mandate – along with being a generally likable figure. Burgum also has significant personal wealth from his background in the tech industry which he could contribute to the race were he the vice presidential nominee.
Seeming to hint that Burgum is under consideration for the job, or perhaps another high-profile post in the administration, Trump told listeners at a Las Vegas rally in February that they should “get ready for something” because Burgum is “a very smart person… an outstanding person.”
Byron Donalds
Rep. Byron Donalds’ political star continues to rise with the buzz about the Floridian’s chances to become Trump’s VP pick. Although he has only been in the House since 2021, Donalds, a former Tea Party activist, has nonetheless established himself as one of the most exciting and fiery conservatives in Congress.
Like Trump, Donalds has been unafraid to clash with Democrats and the corporate media, often going on networks like CNN and MSNBC and engaging in back-and-forth arguments with liberal commentators. His willingness and ability to defend Trump and the America First agenda in the face of a relentless onslaught from the liberal press would be a valuable asset in a potential second Trump term.
Donalds is also a leader in Congress on education – an issue which has served Republicans well in the past and could motivate turnout this year as well.
Elise Stefanik
New York Rep. Elise Stefanik, at just 39 years old, is another rising young star in the Republican Party. She currently serves as chair of the House Republican Conference, making her the fourth-highest ranking House Republican.
Stefanik first began generating some VP talk last December following her grilling of university presidents in the wake of pro-Hamas demonstrations on college campuses. The fallout from that hearing led to the presidents of Harvard and Penn stepping down from their posts and dramatically raised Stefanik’s profile.
In Congress, Stefanik has made a concerted effort to increase the number of female GOP members, and could prove helpful for Trump in messaging women – a group he lost some ground with from 2016 to 2020. She could also help Trump appeal more to younger voters, a typically left-leaning demographic which polling data nonetheless shows has been growing increasingly frustrated with Biden.
In the weeks ahead, the D.C. rumor mill will undoubtedly continue to swirl about who Trump will ultimately tap as his running mate. Although Trump has always had a penchant for surprising observers, and another frontrunner could emerge at the last minute, odds are his pick will be someone on this list.
Shane Harris is a writer and political consultant from Southwest Ohio. You can follow him on X @shaneharris513.
