Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker was asked Tuesday if he would consider being Vice President Kamala Harris' running mate in the 2024 election, should she ask him.
He didn't exactly rule it out.
"Look, I love being the governor of the state of Illinois and I've been out on the campaign trail of fighting hard for Democrats to win - I was in Indiana and Ohio last week. I'm going to be in Tennessee and Arizona. I, as you know, started an organization called Think Big America that's fighting for reproductive rights. We did it in Ohio. We're doing it in Arizona, in Nevada," Pritzker told MSNBC's "Morning Joe." "You know, it's important to me that we win across the board and all across the United States. So I'm going to continue to do that. And I'm very interested in making sure that Kamala Harris becomes the next president of the United States."
His answer provided little direction as to whether or not he would consider such a shift now that President Joe Biden has dropped out of the 2024 presidential race and endorsed Harris for the Democratic nomination.
So far, Harris has not said anything publicly about who she's considering, though Democrats have floated at least 12 names as potential contenders, including Pritzker, who endorsed Harris alongside many other Illinois Democrats Monday.
"Presidential candidates think about a lot of different things when they consider their VP pick," said Northwestern Law professor Michael Kang.
"Geography, the electoral map, where they could use some help in terms of the electoral college. But also, demographics. Balancing out the demographic profile of the ticket, and experience. She’ll be looking in a very, very tight race to eek out any electoral advantage she can," he said.
That's why some political experts believe Pritzker may not be Harris' nominee.
"Whether or not Pritzker can draw votes in places like Michigan or Wisconsin seems an untested proposition," said Michael Allen, an associate professor of history at Northwestern University. "[Pritzker] has a lot of name recognition. He’s familiar with Midwestern politics. He has deep pockets. All of those would be strengths. That said, Illinois is very much a safe bet for the Harris campaign."
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Prior to Biden's decision to withdraw from the race, an ABC News/Ipsos survey asked respondents their opinions of potential replacement candidates. Of those who responded, 71% did not have an opinion on Pritzker filling that role, suggesting a potential name recognition issue, however.
NBC News reported Tuesday that Harris' presidential campaign has requested vetting materials from five possible running mates, according to two sources familiar with the effort to review the backgrounds of those being considered.
The five Democratic vice presidential contenders are North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper; Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro; Sen. Mark Kelly, of Arizona; Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer; and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz.
However one of sources noted that Pritzker was among two other possible names under discussion, alongside former Rep. Cedric Richmond, of Louisiana. It's not clear if the two received vetting materials.
All have endorsed Harris and bring political crossover appeal to the ticket.
Balancing the ticket from a regional or geographical perspective is a factor often considered by candidates.
"The idea there is it will help Harris in the electoral college. That maybe one of these swing states will tilt to her advantage, and that could be critical in the presidential race," said Kang.
Though he says history shows "it's very unpredictable" who a presidential candidate will pick.
"Rarely do experts get it right," said Kang.
