Overview
- An Atlantic profile reports Joe Biden preferred Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer as his 2020 running mate but selected Kamala Harris because the political climate after George Floyd’s killing made a Black nominee a priority.
- A former senior Whitmer staffer told the magazine the “moment called for a Black running mate,” while a former adviser to both Biden and Harris said that account carried some weight.
- The profile says Whitmer was vetted early, flew to Delaware for an in-person meeting in August 2020, and was ready to accept if asked, which aligns with her December 2020 statement that she would have said yes.
- Whitmer campaigned for the Biden–Harris ticket and, after Biden exited the 2024 race and endorsed Harris, she said the nomination had to be Harris and explained she paused before endorsing to assess the field.
- Right-leaning outlets highlighted the claim that Biden wanted Whitmer, while The Root stressed Harris’s barrier-breaking role and noted the report lacks direct confirmation from Biden, reflecting divergent takes on how 2020 protest politics shaped the pick.