Former Vice President Kamala Harris says she would have chosen Pete Buttigieg as her running mate in 2024, but the pairing would have been too risky for the country, according to an excerpt from her forthcoming book. In an excerpt of 107 Days published in The Atlantic, Harris writes that Buttigieg would have been an ideal partner — if I were a straight white man. She notes that she believed the country was already asking voters to accept a woman, a Black woman, and a Black woman married to a Jewish man. Part of me wanted to say, Screw it, let’s just do it. But knowing what was at stake, it was too big of a risk, she writes, signaling a reconsideration of the timetable and the political math involved in selecting a running mate.
The Atlantic excerpt also highlights the emotional and professional tension of the moment, as Harris recalls her affection for Buttigieg and the close working relationship they shared, including his husband. She writes that Buttigieg “knew that — to our mutual sadness” the two of them on the Democratic ticket would have been too risky, even as they both valued the partnership. Her comments come as potential 2028 contenders begin traveling the United States in the early days of the second Trump administration, signaling a wide field of possible matchup scenarios for a future campaign.
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The book excerpt provides context for how Harris weighs race, gender, and coalition-building in the modern Democratic Party. It notes that she loved working with Buttigieg and admired his leadership, but ultimately judged that a ticket pairing them would have required a level of national readiness that did not yet exist. The passages also touch on how the political landscape shifts as potential successors begin testing lines and building profiles ahead of future races, including 2028 speculation that is already taking shape as the 2024 cycle concludes.
The notes further recount the 2024 campaign arc described in the excerpt: after Biden’s departure from the presidential race in July 2024 following a controversial debate, Harris headed up the Democratic ticket. She chose Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as her running mate after a campaign moment in which Walz’s line against Trump and his then-running mate, JD Vance, resonated as a competitive pivot. That ticket ultimately faced defeat in the electoral contest.
Harris’s forthcoming memoir, whose title references the length of her condensed presidential bid, is set to be published by Simon & Schuster. The Atlantic published the excerpt on Wednesday, and the Associated Press reported on the revelations, underscoring how the former senator and vice president continues to shape the historical record of the era. The new book and its excerpts arrive amid a moment of renewed interest in the choices that shaped the 2024 race and the long arc of American political leadership.