Experts have warned that a potential Kamala Harris and Gavin Newsom ticket would end up costing the Democratic Party all 54 of California’s electoral votes — and all thanks to the 12th Amendment.
After President Joe Biden exited the presidential race on Sunday, Harris has become the party’s presumptive nominee. Now, however, she must find a running mate.
Joe Biden Steps Down
On Sunday, President Biden shocked much of the nation when he suddenly revealed — via a letter posted on social media — that he was stepping down from the 2024 presidential race.
Biden explained that he would not seek reelection. He felt this was the right choice to make after analyzing polls that said he couldn’t beat former President Donald Trump.
Biden’s Difficult Month
For the past month, Biden has faced pressure from many in his own party after his poor performance in a debate against Trump.
This disastrous performance, which saw the president unclearly answering questions, caused many to question his mental acuity. As a result, Democratic lawmakers and megadonors publicly called on Biden to step down.
Biden Endorses His Vice President
After announcing his intent to exit the presidential race, Biden then took to X, formerly known as Twitter, to endorse his Vice President, Kamala Harris, to take his place.
Now, Harris will be running for president against Trump. Many Democrats have rallied around her — and have theorized on who she will choose as her running mate.
Harris’ Potential Running Mates
Many names have been thrown out by analysts trying to predict who Harris will choose as her vice president on the Democratic presidential ticket.
California Governor Gavin Newsom has often been considered to be a possible choice — or even someone who could challenge Harris and try to become the party’s presidential choice.
Newsom Endorses Harris
Newsom seemingly put this chatter to rest when he endorsed Harris for president, stating that she’s the best choice “to prosecute the case against Donald Trump’s dark vision.”
This endorsement seems to signal that he will not challenge her at the Democratic convention or try to become president this election cycle.
Could Newsom Be Harris’ VP?
After Newsom’s endorsement, many analysts began to wonder if he could become her vice president. Many California Democrats may even like to see a Harris-Newsom ticket.
However, experts have come out to explain this could never happen, as a Harris-Newsom ticket would surely end up costing Democrats all of California’s electoral votes.
The 12th Amendment Is to Blame
According to these experts, a Harris-Newsom ticket would fail — and the 12th Amendment is to blame.
This amendment explains that presidential electors of the Electoral College must cast ballots for the presidential ticket in certain ways. These electors “vote by ballot for President and Vice-President, one of whom, at least, shall not be an inhabitant of the same state with themselves.”
Harris and Newsom Are Both From California
While Harris currently lives in Washington, D.C. at the vice president’s residency, her official residency is in California. Newsom, as the governor, also lives in California.
Therefore, California electors wouldn’t be able to vote for a president and vice president who are also from California.
Losing California’s Electoral Votes
Barry Burden, a political science professor and the director of the Elections Research Center at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, recently opened up about how this would work.
Burden said, “If Kamala Harris were the presidential candidate and Gavin Newsom were the vice presidential running mate, the electors couldn’t vote for both of them.”
A California Problem
This uniquely California problem would even end up costing Democrats every single one of the state’s electoral votes.
Burden added, “So that would then create a dilemma, maybe a crisis, for those electors to decide which one of them they would vote for. It might cost the ticket electoral votes.”
A Potential Solution
If Harris truly wants Newsom as her running mate, a solution could be found by looking at history. In 2000, George W. Bush chose Dick Cheney as his vice president. However, both were Texas residents at the time.
Cheney decided to move back to Wyoming, updating his voter registration and driver’s license in the process, which allowed their ticket to have no issues. Harris and Newsom could potentially do the same.
