Kamala Harris Deemed Gay Running Mate 'Too Big a Risk,' Memoir Reveals

Former Vice President Kamala Harris revealed in her forthcoming memoir, "107 Days," that she considered former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg as her top choice for a 2024 presidential running mate but ultimately decided against it, deeming a ticket with a Black woman and an openly gay man "too big of a risk." This revelation has drawn sharp criticism from political commentators, including Scott Jennings, who interpreted Harris's comments as an admission of discrimination. The excerpts from her book, first reported by The Atlantic, detail Harris's internal deliberations during her truncated presidential campaign.

According to excerpts, Harris wrote, "But we were already asking a lot of America: to accept a woman, a Black woman, 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. And I think Pete also knew that — to our mutual sadness." She ultimately selected Minnesota Governor Tim Walz as her running mate.

Conservative political commentator Scott Jennings, a former Special Assistant to President George W. Bush, reacted strongly to Harris's statements. On social media, Jennings expressed his surprise at what he perceived as "openly admitting to actual discrimination against gay people." He further stated, "She is openly saying she thought that picking a gay running mate (Pete Buttigieg) was somehow going to make it worse."

Pete Buttigieg, who served as Mayor of South Bend, Indiana, and was a 2020 presidential candidate before becoming the first openly gay Cabinet Secretary in U.S. history, also responded to Harris's comments. Buttigieg told Politico that he was "surprised" by the passage, asserting, "My experience in politics is that the way you earn trust with voters is based mostly on what they think you’re going to do for their lives, not on categories."

Public opinion research indicates growing acceptance of LGBTQ+ candidates in U.S. politics, with a 2022 Gallup poll showing 76% of Americans willing to vote for a well-qualified gay or lesbian presidential candidate. However, studies from the Pew Research Center and the Williams Institute at UCLA School of Law note that while explicit prejudice has declined, perceptions of electability and implicit biases can still influence voter behavior, particularly among certain demographics. Harris's memoir has ignited debate over the role of identity and perceived electability in high-stakes political decisions.