Could we see Georgia Sen. Warnock as presidential rival or VP running mate? What we know

With the sudden shift in the presidential election, Georgia’s Sen. Raphael Warnock is back in the spotlight.

Warnock, 54, is among those named as both a potential rival for the Democratic presidential nomination and as a potential running mate for Vice President Kamala Harris, various media outlets are reporting.

President Joe Biden bowed out of the race and endorsed Harris on Sunday.

Harris, who has not talked publicly on whom she may choose as a running mate, still needs to capture the party’s nomination, with the Democratic convention happening Aug. 19-22 in Chicago.

Warnock endorsed Harris on X, formerly Twitter, on Sunday.

In a CBS news report Monday that notes that the Democratic presidential nomination is “up for grabs,” Warnock is listed, along with Harris, among a host of potential presidential nominees. Many on the list could also be vice presidential nominees, according to the report.

In an opinion piece Monday in The New York Times rating how Democrats would face against Trump, veteran reporter Ross Barkan noted that “Warnock is the rare Democrat who can excite the Black working class and white liberals alike.

“He’s battle-tested in Georgia, and he’s well versed in courting Republicans and swing voters. And he has been the longtime pastor at the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s legendary Atlanta church,” Barkan wrote.

But the newspaper’s opinion columnist Pamela Paul countered:

“Warnock’s background as a religious leader and an activist is not typical for a presidential candidate for a reason. On the issues, Warnock is too progressive for a deeply polarized party in which more Democrats and more independents would welcome a more traditionally liberal or more moderate candidate.”

Meanwhile, a NBC news report Monday names Warnock as a contender for Harris’ running mate.

“(Warnock) was the first Black person elected senator from Georgia — and his elevation to a national ticket would most likely energize Black voters across the U.S., who polls show had been flocking away from Biden,” NBC News reported.

Other potential Harris running mates named in the NBC News report included Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper, Sen. Mark Kelly of Arizona, Maryland Gov. Wes Moore, California Gov. Gavin Newsom, Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer.

Warnock could not be reached for comment Monday.

U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff also endorsed Harris on X, saying she’s “absolutely the right candidate to defeat Donald Trump and unite our country.”

Warnock was first elected to the U.S. Senate in a runoff election in 2020, besting U.S. Sen. Kelly Loeffler whom Gov. Brian Kemp had appointed to finish the term of the late Johnny Isakson.

In 2022, Warnock won his first full-six year Senate term when he defeated Republican and University of Georgia football legend Herschel Walker.

This story was originally published July 22, 2024 at 1:12 PM.