With Donald Trump now the presumptive Republican nominee for president, the veepstakes are now underway.
The New York businessman, asked about choosing a running mate, hasn’t said much other than to say “I’m more inclined to go with a political person.”
Much has happened since The Daily Caller listed some possible Trump running mates in February. Here is an updated list:
NAME: Chris Christie
POSITION: Governor of New Jersey
THE ARGUMENT: Christie has won two elections in a blue state. And like Trump, he is proudly outspoken, running for president under the slogan “telling it like it is.” He has also shown loyalty to Trump by endorsing him after dropping out of the race but not backing down — despite criticism from some of his Republican friends.
NAME: [crscore]Joni Ernst[/crscore]
POSITION: Iowa senator
THE ARGUMENT: Ernst, elected to the Senate in 2014, isn’t well known nationally but could help Trump in several ways: she’s well-liked on Capitol Hill, she has military experience, she can help him with women and hails from a swing state.
NAME: [crscore]Jeff Sessions[/crscore]
POSITION: Alabama senator
THE ARGUMENT: Sessions, the first senator to endorse Trump, is close to the candidate and was name-checked by him during his victory speech Tuesday. He’s a low-key personality who is on the same page with Trump on immigration and trade, could help Trump govern but doesn’t have presidential ambitions and wouldn’t overshadow the top of the ticket.
NAME: Susana Martinez
POSITION: Governor of New Mexico
THE ARGUMENT: Fox News host Bill O’Reilly has said Trump should pick Martinez. The-oft mentioned potential running mate could help Trump with female and Hispanic voters.
NAME: Newt Gingrich
POSITION: Former House speaker
THE ARGUMENT: Gingrich often speaks positively of Trump. Gingrich, during the 2012 race, tapped into some of the same anger that Trump has this year. The former speaker is also an idea machine — something that could come in handy in a White House.
NAME: Mary Fallin
POSITION: Governor of Oklahoma
THE ARGUMENT: The two-term governor of Oklahoma has said she’s open to serving as vice president. After someone suggested Fallin for vice president on CNN in April, Trump tweeted his appreciation for the “great..advice.”
NAME: John Kasich
POSITION: Governor of Ohio
THE ARGUMENT: Kasich was only ever to win his home state in the primary, but as the saying goes, as Ohio goes, so goes the presidency. Kasich won re-election as governor of Ohio in 2014 with 63 percent of the vote. Trump has said he’s open to considering him.
NAME: Sarah Palin
POSITION: Former Alaska governor
THE ARGUMENT: Palin endorsed Trump before Iowa and Trump has sung her praises, including during his victory speech after his win in Indiana on Tuesday. She didn’t win when she was tapped as vice president in 2008. But her brand of conservative populism is similar to Trump’s.
NAME: [crscore]Marco Rubio[/crscore]
POSITION: Florida senator
THE ARGUMENT: Florida. Florida. Florida. Rubio and Trump got personal in their attacks on each other during the primary. But the Florida senator is retiring this year and could help Trump in his swing state — and potentially with Hispanic voters nationwide.
NAME: Rick Scott
POSITION: Governor of Florida
THE ARGUMENT: Like Rubio, there’s the whole Florida being a swing state argument. But unlike Rubio, Scott, a businessman before he became governor, has endorsed Trump.
NAME: Scott Brown
POSITION: Former Massachusetts senator
THE ARGUMENT: Brown is a New England Republican who, like Trump, has been known to emphasize his opposition to illegal immigration. He endorsed Trump before the New Hampshire primary.
NAME: Ben Carson
POSITION: Neurosurgeon
THE ARGUMENT: Trump viciously attacked Carson when they were close to each other in the polls (deriding him as “pathological”). But the two have come together, with Carson endorsing Trump and serving as a surrogate. If Trump wanted to double-down on his outsider brand, Carson could be his man. Carson has even said he’d consider being Trump’s running mate and Trump says he wants Carson to help him make this decision.
NAME: Rudy Giuliani
POSITION: Former New York City mayor
THE ARGUMENT: Rudy’s age could be an issue — he is 71 — but he’s friendly with Trump, endorsed him and has informally advised him on politics. There’s also the constitutional problem of Trump and Giuliani both being from the same state. But Giuliani has governing experience as mayor that Trump could find appealing.
