Kamala Harris’s V.P. Scorecard

The vice president is narrowing her choices. How do the top contenders match up on political skills that matter most?

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Vice President Kamala Harris is making plans to announce a running mate by Aug. 7.

As Vice President Kamala Harris weighs her running mate options, she may consider governing experience, policy views and personality fit. Or she might cut straight to the urgent matter at hand: Who is going to help her win?

The contenders thought to be under serious consideration each have a distinct set of political assets. Some have geographic ties that may help with the Electoral College math. Some are strong debaters ready to make Democrats’ case.

Here’s a look at how the leading contenders line up on critical political skills they could offer a Democratic ticket, in a matchup against former President Donald J. Trump and his running mate, Senator JD Vance of Ohio:

Who helps Harris with the map?

Ms. Harris is from California, a solidly Democratic state. If Democrats want a ticket with a home-state advantage in a battleground, they’ll need a vice-presidential candidate to bring it.

Ms. Harris is studying a few options: Senator Mark Kelly represents Arizona, a swing state that helped cement President Biden’s victory four years ago. Before Mr. Biden dropped his re-election bid, Arizona was looking increasingly daunting for Democrats. The Harris campaign may be tempted to use Mr. Kelly to put the state — and its 11 electoral votes — back in play. Mr. Kelly won statewide in Arizona in 2020 and then again in 2022, with 51 percent of the vote.

But there is perhaps no swing state more crucial than Pennsylvania, a fact that gives its governor, Josh Shapiro, instant credibility in the search process. Mr. Shapiro won in 2022, the “highest vote-getter in Pennsylvania gubernatorial history,” according to his team (albeit against a weak Republican opponent.). A Fox News poll released Friday found that 61 percent of Pennsylvania voters viewed him favorably, no easy feat in a closely divided state. Pennsylvania has 19 electoral votes. If Ms. Harris loses there, she would need to win just about every other closely contested state to win the White House.

For Gov. Tim Walz of Minnesota, another top contender, the Electoral College calculus isn’t exactly in his favor. While Mr. Trump has made promises to win Minnesota, and visited this weekend, the state leans Democratic in presidential politics. In November, if Ms. Harris needs Mr. Walz’s help to win Minnesota, she is most likely losing other must-win states as well.

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