Three Democrats who have said they won’t be Kamala Harris’s vice president

Vice President Kamala Harris is exploring her options for a running mate as she ascends to the top of the Democratic Party’s ticket, but three possibilities have already said they aren’t interested in joining her.

With President Joe Biden’s Sunday announcement to drop out and endorse Harris to replace him, Democrats are in a race to complete their presidential ticket a week after Republicans ended their monthslong search for former President Donald Trump’s running mate. While several Democrats have hinted at seeking a spot on the ticket, these three said they aren’t in contention.

Gov. Wes Moore (D-MD)

Moore, widely seen as a rising star in the Democratic Party, has endorsed Harris to be the party’s nominee for president and has vowed to stump for her, but he said he would not leave Maryland and take the vice presidential nomination.

“I have expressed that I love my job, and I have no intention of leaving,” Moore said on Monday, according to CBS News. “I think that where she goes is going to be a very personal decision for her. I think she’s going to have wonderful options to consider.”

The Maryland governor has been praised for his response to the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse in March and has been floated as a future presidential candidate for the Democratic Party.

Sen. Joe Manchin (I-WV)

Manchin, an independent who caucuses with Democrats in the Senate, had considered re-registering as a Democrat and throwing his name into consideration for the presidential nomination after Biden stepped aside, but he ruled out a run.

When Manchin announced he would not seek the Democratic presidential nomination, he also ruled out taking a spot on the ticket. He flatly told CNN on Monday that he would not join Harris on the ticket and declined to endorse the vice president. Manchin called for an open primary contest ahead of the convention, but a majority of Democratic National Convention delegates instead went forward with backing Harris before any other candidates could materialize.

The West Virginia senator is not seeking reelection to represent the increasingly Republican state after being first elected in 2010.

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D-MI)

Whitmer, a star in the Democratic Party and a possible future presidential candidate, has been one of the names floated as a running mate to Harris and has appeared in some reports about candidates the Harris campaign is vetting. The Michigan governor, however, has made clear she is not leaving the Great Lakes State.

“I am not leaving Michigan. I am proud to be the governor of Michigan. I’ve been consistent. I know everyone is always suspicious and asking this question over and over again,” Whitmer told WLNS on Monday.

Whitmer also said Monday she was “fired up” to endorse Harris for president and announced she would serve as a co-chairwoman for the vice president’s campaign.

While these three have declined to be Harris’s vice president, several other Democrats appear to be jockeying for the spot on the ticket. Govs. Andy Beshear (D-KY), Roy Cooper (D-NC), Tim Walz (D-MN), and Josh Shapiro (D-PA), along with Sen. Mark Kelly (D-AZ), have been floated as possibilities.

Harris will have to make her decision before the Democratic National Convention in Chicago from Aug. 19-22 or before a virtual nominating process that could be held earlier in August.