With Donald Trump now emerging as the likely Republican nominee for president in 2024, it looks almost inevitable that, at some point, sooner or later, he will name his running mate.
It is fair to speculate that this choice will be based on a combination of political strategy, strong loyalty to Mr. Trump, excellent ability and experience, and credibility to be able to become president.
A number of persons would seem to fit these qualifications. However, some pundits have suggested that Trump may be looking especially closely at choosing a woman or person of color as his running mate, which would noticeably reduce the overall number of contenders.
Congresswoman Elise Stefanik has recently emerged as one of the most outstanding contenders. She seems to check all or most of the political boxes for a Trump vice presidential candidate in 2024.
Representing an upstate New York district, she most recently made national headlines as the devastating inquisitor of three major university presidents at a congressional committee meeting concerning anti-semitism on U.S. campuses. As the female presidents of Harvard, Penn, and M.I.T. each dodged Ms. Stefanik’s questions that should have brought simple and direct answers, she expressed shock, disappointment, and rebuke to the campus administrators, and quickly the hearings became a national uproar over the state of higher education across the nation. The presidents of Penn and Harvard soon resigned. Previously only a rising figure in Washington, D.C., overnight Stefanik became a national political celebrity.
The daughter of an Italian-American mother and a Czech-American father, Stefanik attended and graduated from Harvard, after which she worked in the administration of George W. Bush. She then worked on the political campaigns of Tim Pawlenty, Paul Ryan, and Mitt Romney, each considered more moderate conservative, but in 2016 she became a supporter of Donald Trump.
First elected to Congress in 2014, Stefanik evolved into one of Trump’s staunchest supporters in the U.S. House, and in May 2021 became House GOP Conference Chair, the 4th highest post, succeeding Liz Cheney who had become a very vocal critic of Mr. Trump, and was ousted from the job as a result.
Born in Albany, New York, Ms. Stefanik is 39, a practicing Catholic, and married to Michael Manda, with whom she has one child.
President Trump’s vice president in his first term was Mike Pence, a former governor and congressman from Indiana. His selection brought a figure with considerable political experience to the ticket, and someone who had much credibility with conservative and evangelical Christian voters. He and Mr. Trump had a falling out, however, in early 2021 over issues that have been widely covered by the press in recent years.
In 2024, Mr. Trump is a more well-defined political entity with an established record to run on and would seem to need a different “balance” to his ticket. The selection of Stefanik or another woman would satisfy some who hold to the theory, accurate or not, that Mr. Trump is weak with suburban women. If the narrative is correct that Trump needs to work to improve his image with women, choosing a female vice president might be a good place to start.
Nonetheless, Mr. Trump has other serious vice presidential choices as well, including South Carolina U.S. Senator Tim Scott, who himself ran for president in 2024, but pulled out and heartily endorsed Mr. Trump. He appeared with the former president at the Trump victory celebration in New Hampshire.
Scott is 58, a former congressman, and U.S. Senator since 2013. Coming from a background of poverty, Mr. Scott’s optimistic campaign message distinguished his brief presidential run. He is active in his evangelical Christian church.
Another consideration for a Trump running mate is the fact that he is term-limited should he win in 2024. Whomever he chooses would not only be required to step in as president if necessary but would be presumed to be Mr. Trump’s successor in 2028. Voters will likely consider this as they weigh their 2024 options.
In any event, guessing who Donald Trump would choose as a running mate is only speculative. We don’t even know when he will make the announcement. Soon? Before the national convention? At the convention?
As for almost all presidential nominees, compatibility is a priority for their vice presidential choice, and the greatest likelihood is that his decision will give significant weight to that attribute.
