Kamala Harris revealed she originally wanted Pete Buttigieg as her 2024 running mate.
She said she chose Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz instead because she feared voter prejudice.
Harris’s First Choice
In her forthcoming book 107 Days, Harris said Buttigieg was her top pick.
She called him “an ideal partner” for the Democratic ticket.
But she wrote that being a gay man made him “too big of a risk.”
Harris said America was already being asked to accept a Black woman candidate.
She also cited her marriage to a Jewish man as another factor.
“Part of me wanted to say, Screw it, let’s just do it,” she admitted.
But she concluded the country would not accept both on the same ticket.
The Decision for Walz
Harris ultimately selected Tim Walz, the governor of Minnesota.
She believed Walz brought less risk in a volatile election year.
Tim Walz
The Harris-Walz ticket went on to lose badly to Donald Trump.
They lost the Electoral College, the popular vote, and every swing state.
Walz has since returned to focus on his governorship in Minnesota.
Harris framed the choice as one made reluctantly under pressure.
Praise for Buttigieg
Despite passing him over, Harris praised Buttigieg in her book.
She said he has a rare talent for framing liberal arguments for conservatives.
“I love Pete,” she wrote. “I love working with Pete.”
She added that she is close with him and his husband, Chasten.
She called him a “sincere public servant” with a bright future.
But she said both she and Buttigieg knew the risks of pairing together.
Buttigieg’s Rising Profile
Buttigieg remains one of the Democrats’ rising stars.
He previously served as U.S. transportation secretary under Joe Biden.
Pete Buttigieg
He first broke onto the national stage during the 2020 primaries.
Polls show he could be a frontrunner in 2028.
An Emerson College survey showed him ahead of Harris in a primary matchup.
Other potential rivals include Gavin Newsom, Josh Shapiro, and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.
The 2024 Loss
Harris’s choice of Walz did not change the election outcome.
Trump swept every battleground state, leaving Democrats demoralized.
The defeat has fueled questions about Harris’s judgment in 2024.
Her book suggests she was constrained by fears of voter backlash.
She admitted the decision left her and Buttigieg with “mutual sadness.”
