Running Mates and the ConventionsPolls as of July 1, 2020Kamala Harris - 182 safe, 6 likely, 51 leanMike Pence / Brian Sandoval - 126 safe, 55 likely, 17 leanTossup - 102
After becoming the presumptive Democratic nominee and her opponent's concession and endorsement, Kamala Harris assembled a list of eight potential candidates to serve as Vice President if elected. On July 8, the
Washington Post released the list of candidates, which contained the following:
- New Jersey Senator Cory Booker
- New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio
- Florida Governor Gwen Graham
- Minnesota Senator Amy Klobuchar
- Connecticut Senator Chris Murphy
- Texas Senator Beto O'Rourke
- Former Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick
- Ohio Congressman Tim Ryan
On August 3, Harris announced via Twitter that Senator Chris Murphy would be her running mate in the upcoming election.
The 2020 Democratic National Convention
The 2020 Democratic National Convention, located in Phoenix, Arizona, lasted from August 17 to August 20, nominating Kamala Harris and Chris Murphy as the official Democratic nominees for President and Vice President of the United States.
Among the speakers were former President Bill Clinton, former President Barack Obama, former Secretary of State and 2016 presidential nominee Hillary Clinton, former Vice President Joe Biden, former Vice President Al Gore, Texas Senator Beto O'Rourke (keynote speaker), Ohio Senator and former 2020 presidential candidate Sherrod Brown, Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, Georgia Congressman Jason Carter, Virginia Senator and 2016 vice presidential nominee Tim Kaine, and other prominent Democrats and supporters of Senator Kamala Harris.
In his keynote address, Texas Senator Beto O'Rourke said the following:
"Senator Harris has been a friend to me, a leader, and a powerful force in the Senate. Harris will push against the reactionary Pence White House and take our country back!" For Sherrod Brown, his main goal was to unite the party behind Senator Harris, despite his opposition to many of her policies.
Brown was greeted by a lengthy standing ovation and "Sher-rod!" chanted by his supporters. In his speech, Sherrod Brown called on party unity behind Kamala Harris and said the following:
"Harris is one of the best people for the job, and Mike Pence isn't. Harris will move us forward and stand up for the rights of workers all across our nation. We might've had our disagreements during the primary, but we need to come together, as one party, to defeat the far-right's agenda!"Many considered the 2020 Democratic National Convention a success, however many pundits noted that there were still remaining divisions between the Kamala Harris and Sherrod Brown camps during the convention. To many, this was not a big deal, but to others, this looked almost like a parallel to DNC four years ago.
Polls as of August 21, 2020Kamala Harris / Chris Murphy - 187 safe, 23 likely, 83 leanMike Pence / Brian Sandoval - 125 safe, 38 likely, 17 leanTossup - 65
The 2020 Republican National Convention
A week following the Democratic National Convention, the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, commenced from August 24 to August 27. Compared to the Democratic National Convention, the Republicans strolled in as a mostly unified party, with President Pence and Vice President Sandoval virtually unopposed in the primary.
Speakers included Senate Minority Leader John Barrasso, House Minority Leader Paul Ryan, Nevada Governor Adam Laxalt, former Ohio Governor John Kasich, Texas Governor Greg Abbott, South Carolina Senator Tim Scott (Keynote), Florida Senator Marco Rubio, Alabama Governor Kay Ivey, former Democratic Virginia Senator Jim Webb, Nebraska Senator Ben Sasse, and other prominent Republicans and Pence supporters.
During his keynote address, Senator Tim Scott called the Democratic presidential nominee a friend, but not suited for the job of President, and that President Pence and Vice President Sandoval will provide prosperity for the country.
The rest of the RNC remained relatively uneventful, with many pundits noting that Pence was a much more peaceful candidate than the nominee four years ago, along with the Republican Party being significantly more unified than it was four years ago.
Polls as of August 28, 2020Mike Pence / Brian Sandoval - 163 safe, 23 likely, 114 leanKamala Harris / Chris Murphy - 161 safe, 21 likely, 6 leanTossup - 50
