Mich. Governor Gretchen Whitmer Now Has Third-Best Odds to Be Democratic VP
- Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer is the third-favorite to be the Vice President on the 2020 Democratic Presidential ticket
- Whitmer wasn’t even on the board the last time odds were posted. Is she a legitimate hopeful?
- Below, find analysis of the odds, plus picks and predictions
President Donald Trump might not know her name but Gretchen Whitmer is being taken seriously as a contender to be the 2020 Democratic Vice-Presidential candidate.
That woman from Michigan, as Trump condescendingly referred to Whitmer during one of his incoherent coronavirus news briefings, has moved into contention across the leading sportsbooks in the 2020 Democratic vice-presidential odds. Depending upon the sportsbook, Whitmer’s betting line ranges from +400 to +600.
Online betting sites continue to have Kamala Harris and Amy Klobuchar as the frontrunners. However, Whitmer is right there with them.
2020 Democratic Vice-President Odds
| Candidate | Odds |
|---|---|
| Kamala Harris | +200 |
| Amy Klobuchar | +250 |
| Gretchen Whitmer | +400 |
| C. Cortez Masto | +700 |
| Stacey Abrams | +800 |
| Elizabeth Warren | +900 |
| Hillary Clinton | +2500 |
| Michelle Obama | +2500 |
| Val Demings | +3300 |
| Tammy Duckworth | +5000 |
| Tammy Baldwin | +5000 |
Odds taken April 2nd.
Whitmer wasn’t even on the board when the previous 2020 Democratic Vice-Presidential odds were posted on March 16th.
Whitmer Standing Firm
Like New York’s Andrew Cuomo, another Democratic Governor, Whitmer is fighting a difficult battle as the coronavirus spreads rapidly through the state of Michigan. But like Cuomo, she’s impressed many with her calm under fire and control under a challenging situation.
“We really should have a national strategy instead of a patchwork of policies,” says Michigan’s Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer. “…Without a national strategy, without a uniform policy, this is going to go on longer than it needs to and more lives are going to be lost.” pic.twitter.com/3GthEI4Kte
— Anderson Cooper 360° (@AC360) April 2, 2020
Whitmer stood up to Trump in the national media when the Federal government was slow to allocate much-needed supplies to combat COVID-19 to Michigan. It won her praise but also drew the ire of the acerbic Trump. He took to his bully pulpit on Twitter to criticize her, pretending that he couldn’t even remember Whitmer’s name.
https://twitter.com/ZackPohl/status/1245552352947552257?s=20
Joe Biden, the frontrunner in the Democratic nomination odds, certainly remembers her name. Biden acknowledged earlier this week that Whitmer was on the list of Vice-Presidential candidates he was considering.
Biden stated during the last debate with fellow Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders that he would definitely select a female running mate. But Biden was quick to caution that Whitmer was among 10 women he was looking at for the position.
Other Top Contenders
Both Harris and Klobuchar have remained steadfast amongst the oddsmakers. Each also ran for President.
Harris was an early leader in the Presidential race who flamed out almost as rapidly as she rose to prominence. Klobuchar stayed in the chase longer but never really looked to be a serious challenger.
Both offer qualities that would make them ideal VP choices. An eloquent speaker and determined debater, Harris appeals to both female and African-American voters. Klobucher is a dominant presence in the midwest, a vital area of the electorate where Hillary Clinton fell short against Trump in the 2016 Presidential election.
Both Stacey Abrams (+400 to +800) and Elizabeth Warren (+700 to +900) saw their odds lengthen since the previous line was released. Odds on Nevada Senator Catherine Cortez Masto shortened from +2000 to +700.
A new player worthy of consideration at odds of +3300 is Florida congresswoman Val Demings. She played a significant role during Trump’s impeachment trial, gaining national notoriety.
Democratic VP Rarely A Governor
Clinton picked former Virginia Governor Tim Kaine as her running mate in 2016. It marked the first time in nearly 100 years that the Democratic Vice-Presidential candidate was a governor.
Whitmer is a rising star in the Democratic party but she’s still relatively inexperienced on the national stage. Her time will come but it’s not now.
Harris remains the best bet at this juncture.
Pick: Kamala Harris (+200)
An industry veteran, Bob literally taught the course on the history of sports at Elder College. He has worked as a Sports Columnist for Postmedia, appeared as a guest on several radio stations, was the Vice President of the Society For International Hockey Research in Ontario, and written 25 books.
