As Democrats coalesce around Vice President Kamala Harris‘ presidential bid following Sunday’s news that President Joe Biden would not seek re-election, speculation around who she might pick as her running mate, if she secures the party’s nomination of course, is swirling.
We couldn’t help but notice that five out of the five names floating around happen to be supporters of cannabis reform and, as many in the media are pointing out… several of them are under 60.
While some news outlets have opined that those in the veepstakes have low name recognition and not much time to remedy that, at least these five have, well, shall we call it cannabis cred and that means something as support for marijuana legalization is at an all-time high in the U.S.
Read Also: Kamala Harris’ U-Turn On Cannabis: Here’s Where She Stands On Weed Legalization Now
First, let’s highlight Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker who shepherded legal cannabis into his state in 2022 and has welcomed the Benzinga Cannabis Capital Conference to Chicago several years in a row and will do so again this coming October.
Now, let’s look at five more potential running mates for Harris:
Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro
Shapiro, a first term governor and former attorney general in a crucial Midwest swing state, said last week that he and his administration would “continue to fight” for legalization, referring to the exclusion of cannabis reform in PA’s recently signed budget legislation.
Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear
Beshear jumped onto the national stage having won twice in his red state and being one of the youngest governors in the country (46). Beshear signed medical marijuana into law after it passed in a bipartisan vote, and recently called on the DEA to get a move on and reschedule cannabis. A southern state and a young governor… Beshear’s got it all.
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer Of Michigan
With Michigan having surpassed California as the top cannabis state in terms of retail sales, Whitmer has consistently pushed to speed up and keep things moving to make Michigan’s general permitting process clearer, faster and more efficient. And imagine…a first-ever all-women presidential ticket.
North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper
The two-term governor has said that the wants to “end the stigma” around cannabis despite GOP opposition. The Dems need, want, hope to flip North Carolina where Biden lost by less than two percentage points in 2020. Having Cooper on the ticket could help widen that slim outcome. Though (and don’t tell anyone)…he’s 67.
Gov. Gavin Newsom
Here’s your handsome 56-year-old and probably the most recognizable governor in the country who crossed paths with Harris on a regular basis during the years she top prosecutor in California. Newsom’s support for legal cannabis has been steady since he took office in 2018. His national profile jumped quite a bit following long, as in hours, interviews and debates on Fox News when he faced off against Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis. And here’s a bit of gossip: Newsom’s first wife Kimberly Guilfoyle, is currently engaged to Donald Trump Jr.
H/T: www.benzinga.com
