Why Biden Should Choose a Midwesterner as his Running Mate

With the 2020 elections right around the corner, the Democratic nominee, Vice-President Biden is about to pick his running mate. He has already said that he will be picking a woman. This is a good decision. An even better decision will be to pick a well-known woman from the Midwest. The Midwest is the region with the most number of swing states in the nation. The Northeast and the West are solidly Democratic (with the exception of Arizona and some of the smaller states in the West), whereas the South is solidly Republican.

President Trump's surprising narrow victories in the three Rust belt states of Michigan, Wisconsin, and Pennsylvania are what propelled him to victory in 2016. Two of those states are in the Midwest (Wisconsin & Michigan), and Pennsylvania is the cutoff between the Northeast and the Midwest. If Biden were to choose a woman from the Midwest this may give him an edge in states like Michigan and Wisconsin, both of which Democrats desperately need to take back in order to win the election.

A woman from the Midwest would also be able to counter Trump's running mate, Mike Pence, who himself is from the Midwest. Biden's top pick should be Governor Gretchen Whitmer, she has arguably done a good job with the pandemic and has high approval ratings in Michigan. She is also very young. At 48, she would bring much needed youthfulness to the ticket. If Biden picks her, it could put him in a great position to win Michigan and ultimately the election. Amy Klobuchar could be another option although Minnesota is much more solidly Democrat. Senators Debbie Stabenow and Tammy Baldwin from Michigan and Wisconsin respectively could be two good other alternatives.

With the exception of Florida which is always important in every election, the key to the 2020 election will once again be focused in the Midwest. Biden would be wise to choose his running mate accordingly.