Bookies bet on fresh favourites for Democratic VP nominee

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The Democratic presidential nominee has yet to be made official but Kamala Harris has already been campaigning like she is.

So that leaves who would potentially be her vice president — and odds are looking good for two men.

However, as the daily volatility continues in political betting markets, that could change on a dime, as BetOnline.ag not only ran a geo-tagged X analysis to determine which VP candidate in each of the 50 states thinks should get the nod, but they also looked at posts, hashtags and keywords on the platform about who Harris might choose.

Here’s what the bookies are saying:

Arizona senator and former astronaut Mark Kelly has emerged as an early favourite to be Harris’ running mate, according to the betting site, with the current odds of 5/4.

Jockeying for the top spot is Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, who has made headlines in recent weeks following former President Donald Trump’s attempted assassination during a rally in his state.

In fact, Shapiro was the favourite when odds opened Sunday, where the governor was 7/4 but Kelly managed to swoop in and take over.

Shapiro’s current odds are 5/2.

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“This change is really just based on where the bets are coming in,” BetOnline.ag political oddsmaker Paul Krishnamurty said.

“Most of the media narrative is directed toward Josh Shapiro, but at this point Mark Kelly being on the ticket would be a significant loss for our book because the bettors are strongly backing him.”

In third is Roy Cooper of North Carolina with 9/2 odds.

The trio of potential candidates are believed to be among 10 Dems who have been asked to submit personal information in a vice-presidential vetting process, The Guardian reported, and all three have endorsed Harris to replace Joe Biden as the presidential nominee in November.

Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear (10/1) is in the No. 4 spot while Tim Walz of Minnesota (14/1) rounds out the Top 5.

Transport Secretary Pete Buttigieg (20/1) is in sixth place while twice-elected Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has 40/1 odds, tying her with former First Lady Michelle Obama.

California’s Gavin Newsom is at 50/1, while Trump’s Democratic rival from 2016 has 66/1 odds, tying her with Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker and billionaire Mark Cuban.

Also on the oddsmakers’ list are George Clooney and Oprah Winfrey, and while they are at 100/1 and 250/1, respectively, chances are they won’t be on the ticket.