U.S. Presidential Election Democratic VP Nominee Odds: Harris Names Walz Her Running Mate
Chaos has given way to clarity when it comes to the Democratic side of the 2024 U.S. election cycle.
With less than two weeks before the start of the Democratic National Convention in Chicago, the Democrats not only have their nominee in place, but she has also chosen her vice president. And as the Kamala Harris odds continue to creep closer to betting favorite Donald Trump, it's possible that her VP pick might soon push her into the No. 1 spot in the odds.
If this were an election that even somewhat resembled normalcy, Harris would have announced her Vice President pick shortly before the convention as a way to kickstart momentum heading into the event. But everything needs to happen at warp speed now for Harris to close the gap to Donald Trump in the 2024 U.S. presidential election odds.
That's likely why Harris has locked in her VP selection a full six days prior to the start of the DNC, and right before kicking off a four-day whirlwind through key swing states. And her choice – Minnesota Governor Tim Walz – was nowhere near the top of the odds board on any of our best political betting sites (outside the U.S.) as recently as a week ago.
Democratic Vice Presidential nominee closing odds 2024
(Democratic vice presidential nominee closing odds from our best sportsbooks in Canada as of Aug. 6. U.S. residents interested in betting on the election can visit social sportsbook BetRivers.net, which is available in most U.S. states.)
| Candidate | bet365 |
|---|---|
| Tim Walz | -300 |
| Josh Shapiro | +225 |
| Andrew Beshear | +2000 |
| Mark Kelly | +2500 |
| Pete Buttigieg | +5000 |
| Michelle Obama | +7000 |
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Democratic Vice Presidential nominee odds 2024 analysis
There were several dynamics likely at play in Harris' running mate consideration, which came as she built a massive lead in the Democratic presidential odds, closing at -10000 from bet365 to be the nominee before Tuesday's announcement.
It was thought that the Democrats would favor someone from a state that either will be contested or where the party feels it needs some help or an added push. That was a factor in Trump picking JD Vance, who's from Ohio and can potentially offer a boost in the rust-belt battleground states.
This was the path oddsmakers expected the Democrats to take, which explains Josh Shapiro as the overwhelming VP favorite for most of the race.
Shapiro is the Governor of Pennsylvania, and he would represent a counter to Trump's pick of Vance in the always hotly contested region. The state was blue consistently, with the Democrats getting 50% or more of the vote until 2016. That's when Trump flipped it, though the Biden-Harris-led Democrats reclaimed it in a white-knuckle race during 2020, winning 50% to 48.8%.
But Walz (-300), who was initially part of a carousel of challengers to occupy the No. 2 spot behind Shapiro on bet365, saw a swift and decisive push into the top tier amid reports a large group of progressive Democrats has penned a letter to Harris urging her to consider Walz or Andy Beshear of Kentucky.
It probably didn't hurt his cause that Walz was the originator of the trend in which Democrat supporters have been relentlessly labeling certain Republican counterparts – most notably Trump running mate J.D. Vance – as "weird".
The buzz around Walz intensified Monday night, culminating in him taking over as the betting favorite at -118. He returned to No. 2 status early Tuesday morning, but quickly shot back up to -250 and then -300 as news of his reported selection began to spread.
Democratic Vice Presidential nominee odds 2024 FAQ
Who was the favorite to be the Democratic Vice Presidential nominee in 2024?
Tim Walz closed as the -300 favorite; his price represented a 75% implied probability.
What were Kamala Harris' odds to be the 2024 Democratic presidential nominee?
Kamala Harris closed at -10000 odds to be the 2024 Democratic nominee. That leads to an implied probability of 99%.
Who is the favorite for the 2024 U.S. election?
Former president Donald Trump is still the favorite (-125) to win the 2024 U.S. presidential election, representing an implied probability of 55.6%
Who won the last U.S. presidential election?
Joe Biden assumed office as the 46th President of the United States following his victory over incumbent Donald J. Trump in the 2020 election.
When will the U.S. presidential election be decided?
The 2024 United States presidential election is scheduled to take place on Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2024.
Where will the U.S. presidential election be decided?
Candidates will campaign across various cities and states leading up to November 2024, culminating in voters casting their ballots at polling booths nationwide to determine the next President of the United States.
How to watch the U.S. presidential election
Every major news outlet will cover the 2024 United States presidential election extensively.
2024 presidential election betting odds pages
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