With Vice President Harris nearing a vice president decision that could help decide the fate of the 2024 election, Governor Whitmer — long considered on a short list for the position — now says she is not being vetted by Vice President Harris’ campaign to be considered as the Democratic running mate this year. Ms. Harris, a biracial woman, has reportedly narrowed her focus to a small group of straight, white men to balance the ticket.

During an interview with CBS Mornings on Monday, Ms. Whitmer says she is “not a part of the vetting”

“The vice president has got a great group of people from whom she’s gonna pick her running mate, and I know that I can be the best ally for this campaign on the ground in Michigan” the governor said. 

“I have communicated with everyone, including the people of Michigan, that I’m going to stay as governor until the end of my term at the end of 2026,” she added. 

Ms. Whitmer, who was a co-chairwoman of President Biden’s campaign, has retained her role in the newly formed Harris operation. She predicts that the running mate will be announced in the next six or seven days. 

Ms. Whitmer, an overwhelmingly popular figure in the ultimate swing state of Michigan, said it was “baloney” that America was not ready to accept an all-female ticket. The focus has shifted to a number of senators and swing-state governors, all of them straight, white, and male.

One of the leading contenders, Senator Kelly, has the highest net favorability rating of all leading veep candidates, according to a new poll. He was elected to the Senate in a special election in 2020 and won election to a full-term in 2022. 

According to an Ipsos poll released Sunday, most Americans have not heard of the astronaut and gun control activist-turned-lawmaker. In total, 22 percent have a positive view of Mr. Kelly, compared to 12 percent who view him negatively. Two governors being vetted — Roy Cooper of North Carolina and Tim Walz of Minnesota — have a net negative favorable of just one percent, though both their favorable and unfavorable numbers are in the single digits, leaving many Americans in the dark about who the two men actually are. 

Two more well-known figures have higher name identification, but are not being seriously considered for the post. Transportation secretary Pete Buttigieg has a net positive rating of four points, while Governor Newsom has a net negative rating of 12 points. Mr. Newsom was quickly dismissed as a potential running mate because the 12th Amendment requires running mates be inhabitants of different states, meaning had he been chosen, either Ms. Harris would have to change her residence or Mr. Newsom would have to resign his office and move to a new state.