Vice President Kamala Harris is likely to be the Democratic presidential candidate since her boss Joe Biden announced that he will not run for re-election.
But who will be her vice presidential candidate?
Here are the hot names in media speculation.
Mark Kelly, senator from the swing state of Arizona:
The 60-year-old Kelly has a background as an astronaut and fighter pilot. He was elected to the US Senate in 2020.
He is married to Gabrielle Giffords, a former Democratic representative who was shot in the head in 2011 while campaigning in her home state. Giffords survived the assassination attempt and has, together with Kelly, founded an organization that works to reduce gun violence and stricter gun laws.
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Pennsylvania's Governor Josh Shapiro:
Won the gubernatorial election in 2022 in the crucial swing state of Pennsylvania against a Trump-backed candidate.
The energetic lawyer Shapiro is 51 years old and an outspoken critic of Republican Donald Trump. He has previously been the state's highest legal officer (attorney general) and sat in the state congress.
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Michigan's Governor Gretchen Whitmer:
The 52-year-old Whitmer has been governor of the swing state of Michigan since 2019 and is vice chairman of the Democratic Party.
Lawyer Whitmer has also sat in the state parliament and worked as a prosecutor.
In the run-up to the 2020 presidential election, the FBI uncovered an armed militia group whose goal was to kidnap Whitmer and "hold her accountable for treason". The plans were stopped, but received widespread attention and made Whitmer nationally known.
She has backed Harris but said she does not want to leave Michigan.
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Illinois Governor JB Pritzker
Billionaire Pritzker has been Illinois governor since 2019. The 59-year-old businessman and lawyer is known as a strong defender of abortion rights and often speaks about the importance of stricter gun laws.
Pritzker's wealth and network, his family owns the Hyatt hotel chain, could have great significance during the election campaign.
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North Carolina's Governor Roy Cooper
The 67-year-old lawyer Cooper has been governor of North Carolina since 2017. He is in his second term and therefore cannot run for re-election this fall.
Cooper is reported to have very good personal chemistry with Kamala Harris. He has previously been the swing state of North Carolina's highest legal officer and sat for several years in the state parliament.
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Maryland's Governor Wes Moore
The 45-year-old political scientist, Afghanistan veteran, and TV profile Moore is Maryland's first black governor. He became nationally known after the bridge collapse in Baltimore in March this year.
He has backed Harris but said he does not intend to leave his current position.
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Bubblers: Transportation Minister Pete Buttigieg, Minnesota's Governor Tim Walz, and California's Governor Gavin Newsom, according to, among others, AP, CBS News, USA Today, and Forbes.
