John Kerry presidential campaign VP selection process

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This article discusses the John Kerry presidential campaign vice-president selection process that began after Kerry became the presumptive Democratic Party candidate for president of the United States of America in the 2004 election campaign.

For the current article describing Kerry's campaign, see John Kerry presidential campaign, 2004.

Since Kerry announced on July 6, 2004 that his choice for running mate was Senator John Edwards of North Carolina, the issue of who might be considered for the vice-presidential slot has become academic. The discussion of the possibilities is preserved below for historical interest:

[edit] Some V.P. possibilities

Some of the candidates mentioned as potential picks included the following individuals currently holding high political offices:


New Mexico Gov. William B. Richardson, who is Hispanic, was widely regarded as a leading contender for the vice-presidential slot before he denied interest during a March 7, 2004, appearance on Meet the Press; When elected governor, he promised the citizens of New Mexico that he would serve his entire term. He went on to endorse Richard A. "Dick" Gephardt for the slot. Some pundits still regarded Richardson as a possibility.

Some recently retired figures who still have an important place on the national stage were also considered to be in the running:

Kerry selected a vice presidential candidate from among former challengers for the Democratic nomination:

Some moderate or maverick Republicans were also mentioned, especially U.S. Sen. John S. McCain III (Ariz.). McCain caused widespread speculation by suggesting in April 2004 that he might consider an offer from Kerry, although he later claimed that was not a serious comment, and that he supports Bush's reelection. A May 2004 poll showing a Kerry-McCain pairing with a 14% lead over a Bush-Cheney ticket [1] further fueled speculation, reportedly leading to serious overtures from Kerry inviting McCain to join the ticket. However, McCain reportedly personally refused the overtures [2], laying most further speculation to rest.

Other Republicans that were occasionally mentioned as potential running mates include:

[edit] Ineligible VP choices

The following mentioned choices are ineligible to be Vice President because they are ineligible to be President (the 12th Amendment to the United States Constitution states that "no person constitutionally ineligible to the office of President shall be eligible to that of Vice-President of the United States").

[edit] Al Gore

While Former Vice President Al Gore served two terms under President Bill Clinton, the 22nd Amendment does not limit a Vice President's terms in office, so technically, Gore would have been eligible to serve as Kerry's running mate. No Vice President had ever sought more than two terms in office, and such a move would most likely raise controversy. A challenge by opponents would probably have to be decided by the Supreme Court on the relevance of the 22nd Amendment to the Vice Presidency.

For these reasons, it was extremely unlikely that Kerry would ask Gore to be his running mate, and even more unlikely that Gore would accept a theoretical offer from Kerry. These factors would also mitigate the chance of Dick Cheney being nominated for Vice President by a future Republican candidate after his tenure in the George W. Bush administration.

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