Selecting a running mate is always a circus. In 2024, the hunt for the right names among the republican vice presidential candidates 2024 felt less like a standard political search and more like a high-stakes season of The Apprentice. We all saw J.D. Vance standing on that stage in Milwaukee, but honestly, the road to get there was messy. It was filled with last-minute phone calls, private jet flights to Mar-a-Lago, and a shortlist that shifted almost daily.
People remember the winners. They forget how close some of the others actually got.
For months, the media was obsessed with "the trio." That was the group of finalists that basically everyone in D.C. knew were the real contenders. You had the tech-savvy governor, the seasoned Florida senator, and the "Hillbilly Elegy" author who had once been a "Never Trumper."
The Final Three: Rubio, Burgum, and Vance
By June 2024, the race had effectively narrowed down to three men: Senator Marco Rubio, Governor Doug Burgum, and Senator J.D. Vance. Each of them brought a totally different vibe to the table.
Marco Rubio was the safe, establishment-adjacent pick. He has a national reputation and is a powerhouse with Hispanic voters. But there was a weird constitutional snag. Both Trump and Rubio were residents of Florida. The 12th Amendment makes it a legal nightmare for a President and Vice President to be from the same state because electors from that state can't vote for both. Rubio would’ve had to pack up and change his residency basically overnight.
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Then you had Doug Burgum. He’s the Governor of North Dakota. Most people outside of the Midwest hadn't heard of him until he ran for President himself earlier in the cycle. Trump really liked him. Why? Because Burgum is rich, looks the part—Trump often said he was straight out of "central casting"—and he was incredibly loyal on the campaign trail. He didn't have the baggage of past insults, unlike some others.
Finally, there was J.D. Vance.
At 39 years old, he was the youngest of the bunch. He represented the "New Right." He wasn't a fan of old-school Republican foreign policy and focused heavily on the working class in the Rust Belt. Trump Jr. was a huge fan. He pushed for Vance because he saw him as the future of the MAGA movement.
The "Almost" List: Why They Faded
Before the list got small, it was huge. Honestly, it felt like every Republican with a pulse was being vetted at one point.
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Tim Scott from South Carolina was a huge name for a while. He’s the only Black Republican in the Senate and he’s an incredible orator. He campaigned his heart out for Trump after dropping his own bid. Trump even joked that Scott "must really hate" Nikki Haley because of how hard he worked to beat her in her own home state. But despite the rapport, Scott stayed in the "surrogate" lane rather than the "running mate" lane.
Byron Donalds and Elise Stefanik were also in the mix. Donalds, a Representative from Florida, was seen as a way to make inroads with Black men. Stefanik, the House Republican Conference Chair, was a fierce defender during the impeachment trials.
There were also the wildcards:
- Kristi Noem: The South Dakota Governor was a frontrunner until her book came out. The story about her dog, Cricket, basically ended her VP chances in one news cycle. Politics is brutal.
- Vivek Ramaswamy: He had a lot of energy and a massive following with young men, but he was probably too similar to Trump in terms of needing the spotlight.
- Ben Carson: Always a favorite for his calm demeanor, but he didn't provide the "attack dog" energy usually required for a VP slot.
The Moment it Became Official
On July 15, 2024, the world found out. It wasn't a grand press conference. It was a post on Truth Social.
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Vance reportedly got the call only 20 minutes before the announcement went live. He had flown to Mar-a-Lago just two days prior for a final sit-down. Trump mentioned that Vance’s business background in tech and finance made him the right choice to fight for workers in states like Pennsylvania and Michigan.
It was a gamble. Vance had a history of calling Trump "America's Hitler" back in 2016. Democrats immediately jumped on those old quotes. But Vance’s defense was simple: he was wrong, he saw the results of the Trump administration, and he changed his mind. Voters in the Rust Belt seemed to buy it.
Why the Choice Matters Now
Looking back at the republican vice presidential candidates 2024, the selection of Vance wasn't just about winning an election. It was about a succession plan.
Vance became the first Millennial on a major party ticket. He represents a shift away from the Reagan-era "Big Business" GOP toward a more populist, protectionist party. Whether you like him or not, his presence on the ticket changed the DNA of the Republican party for the next decade.
If you're looking to understand the current political landscape, you should:
- Research the 2024 RNC Platform: Look at how the official party platform shifted to align with the Vance/Trump populist brand of economics.
- Watch the October 2024 VP Debate: The matchup between Vance and Tim Walz is a masterclass in how both parties are now trying to court the "everyman" voter.
- Analyze Voter Data from the Rust Belt: Check the 2024 exit polls for Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Michigan to see if the "Vance Effect" actually moved the needle with white working-class voters.
The 2024 veepstakes might be over, but the fallout is just beginning to reshape how both parties pick their leaders.