In the razor-thin race for the White House, every choice counts—especially Kamala Harris’s selection of Minnesota Governor Tim Walz as her running mate, which has some strategists questioning whether she made the right call. A new DailyMail.com/J.L. Partners poll reveals that while Harris is locked in a dead heat with Donald Trump in Pennsylvania, she could have gained a slight edge with the state’s popular governor, Josh Shapiro, on her ticket.
According to the poll, 47% of likely Pennsylvania voters would back a Harris-Shapiro ticket, compared to 46% for Trump and his running mate, J.D. Vance. However, with Walz on the ticket, Harris and Trump are tied, each holding 47%. Pennsylvania’s 19 electoral votes are seen as crucial, making Harris’s choice of running mate a focal point in the high-stakes 2024 race.
Political analysts from both parties say Harris may have missed a crucial opportunity by not choosing Shapiro, a Jewish Democrat known for his broad popularity and appeal across Pennsylvania. David Urban, a veteran Pennsylvania strategist and Trump ally, suggested that Harris’s decision reflects poor judgment, remarking, “Josh Shapiro is an incredibly talented, gifted political athlete… Harris should have recognized his appeal in a critical battleground.”
Pollster James Johnson, co-founder of J.L. Partners, echoed this sentiment, explaining that while Walz has held his own, the data suggests Shapiro might have been a more advantageous choice. “This road is laced with counterfactuals,” Johnson commented, noting that Shapiro’s ability to perform under the intense national spotlight remains untested, though his local appeal is undeniable.
The stakes are high, with J.L. Partners’ election model giving Trump a slight edge with a 58% chance of victory. Harris’s decision to pass over Shapiro for Walz, who hails from a non-battleground state, is likely to be a point of reflection as the election nears its final stretch. As Pennsylvania remains the key battleground, the question looms—would Shapiro have been the strategic choice to tip the scales?
