‘Far and Away Frontrunner’: CNN’s Enten Says All The Data Points To One Harris VP Pick As ‘Smart Money’ Favorite

CNN senior data reporter Harry Enten believes Democratic Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro is the runaway favorite to become Vice President Kamala Harris’s running mate, he said Saturday.

Harris, who secured enough support Friday to be crowned the Democratic Party’s 2024 nominee, is reportedly spending the weekend vetting a number of potential running mates.

Among them are Shapiro, Sen. Mark Kelly (D-AZ), Minnesota Democratic Governor Tim Walz, and Kentucky Democratic Governor Andy Beshear.

On CNN Newsroom, Enten explained that current betting market odds gave Shapiro a 73 percent chance to become Harris’s running mate  – compared to 16 percent for Walz and eight and seven percent for Kelly and Beshear, respectively.

“Yeah, who looks to be the favorite at this particular point?” Enten asked. “You know, you’re going through some of those contenders. Who right now is the favorite? This is the chance of being Harris’s vice presidential running mate. This is based on betting market odds, but I think at lines at very well with the conventional wisdom at this point. And that is the far and away frontrunner is Josh Shapiro at 73 percent.”

CNN anchor Jessica Dean asked, “Harry why, why is the smart money on the governor of Pennsylvania?”

Enten replied, “Well if there is one state that both the Harris and Trump campaigns know that they must win in order to win this election, it is Pennsylvania, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.”

He explained that Shapiro is viewed positively by more than 60 percent of his state’s voters and that because Pennsylvania is so crucial to both campaigns, the VP slot was “Josh Shapiro’s to lose.”

He then concluded, “So, Pennsylvania right here, Josh Shapiro’s home state looks to be the most important state, and I think arguably that is one of the big reasons why he is seen as the frontrunner at this late hour.”

Watch the clip above via CNN.