Updated June 24, 2026
2028 vice-presidential picks
Every ticket needs a running mate. No 2028 nominee has been chosen yet, so VP talk is speculative - but here is how the pick works, when it happens, and the kinds of names that come up for each contender.
By contender
Who could be each candidate's running mate?
JD Vance's running mate
Republican · Vice President of the United States
Gavin Newsom's running mate
Democratic · Governor of California
Marco Rubio's running mate
Republican · U.S. Secretary of State
Pete Buttigieg's running mate
Democratic · Former U.S. Transportation Secretary
Kamala Harris's running mate
Democratic · Former Vice President
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's running mate
Democratic · U.S. Representative (NY-14)
Josh Shapiro's running mate
Democratic · Governor of Pennsylvania
Ron DeSantis's running mate
Republican · Governor of Florida
Gretchen Whitmer's running mate
Democratic · Governor of Michigan
Andy Beshear's running mate
Democratic · Governor of Kentucky
Brian Kemp's running mate
Republican · Governor of Georgia
Ted Cruz's running mate
Republican · U.S. Senator (Texas)
Vivek Ramaswamy's running mate
Republican · Entrepreneur; Ohio governor candidate
Tim Walz's running mate
Democratic · Governor of Minnesota
Cory Booker's running mate
Democratic · U.S. Senator (New Jersey)
J.B. Pritzker's running mate
Democratic · Governor of Illinois
Nikki Haley's running mate
Republican · Former U.N. Ambassador
Jon Ossoff's running mate
Democratic · U.S. Senator (Georgia)
Quick answers
2028 running-mate FAQ
When will the 2028 running mates be announced?
Historically, presidential nominees announce their running mate in the summer before the election, often just before or at the party convention. For 2028 that would be the summer of 2028.
How is a vice-presidential candidate chosen?
The presidential nominee picks their own running mate, usually after winning the primaries. Picks often aim to balance the ticket by geography, age, ideology or demographics.
Who are the 2028 VP front-runners?
No nominees exist yet, so any running-mate talk is speculative. The names most often floated are the same governors and senators in the presidential field itself.