Kamala Harris VP Betting Odds Surge After Juneteenth Comments

• California Senator Kamala Harris is still the heavy frontrunner to earn the nod as Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden’s vice president.
• Harris’s odds (+100) surged after Minnesota Senator Amy Klobuchar withdrew from consideration.
• Many, including Klobuchar, have called for Biden to nominate a black woman as his running mate to demonstrate a desire to connect with Black Lives Matter protestors throughout the country.
• Biden is now a moderate betting favorite over President Donald Trump for November’s general election.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. – The race for the Democratic vice-presidential nomination has been narrowed down to just a few candidates, and California Senator Kamala Harris is the heavy betting favorite.

After fellow frontrunner and Minnesota Senator Amy Klobuchar announced earlier this week that she would be withdrawing her name from consideration, likely because of her past ties to Minnesota law enforcement, Harris’s already short betting odds became even shorter.

Other trending picks for VP include Florida Representative Val Demings, former U.N. ambassador Susan Rice, and Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms.

Just a few weeks ago, Demings and Rice’s betting odds had overtaken Kloubacher, but Harris isn’t letting go over her popularity of the most favored.

Over the past few days, Harris has endeared herself to black voters by leading an organized push for the White House to declare Juneteenth a national holiday.

Juneteenth, or June 19th, was the day that Union general Gordon Ranger declared the abolition of slavery in Texas in 1865. Texas was the last Confederate state to surrender its slaves after the Civil War.

Juneteenth is commonly referred to as Freedom Day or Emancipation Day, as it marked an important milestone in the ongoing fight for civil rights.

How The VP Betting Odds Has Changed During The Protests

Minnesota Senator Amy Klobuchar was a frontrunner in the VP election odds not long ago, but after it was revealed that she had elected not to bring charges against Officer Derek Chauvin after a fatal shooting incident in 2006.

Chauvin, of course, was the Minneapolis police offer who has been charged with the murder of George Floyd.

When she announcing her withdrawal from the race, Klobuchar urged Democratic nominee Joe Biden to pick a woman of color has his running mate.

With widespread unrest stemming from systemic racism towards black Americans, many people across the country have echoed similar sentiments.

With President Trump firmly positioning himself as anti-Black Lives Matter, it would be logical for Biden to embrace a black running mate, especially one who has so consistently denounced Trump.

Shopping VP Betting Lines

There is still a high degree of uncertainty surrounding who the ultimate nominee will be, so bettors would be wise to check with multiple sportsbooks before placing wagers.

Discrepancies in betting odds can help maximize the potential payout on a political wager. Smart bettors always bet with sportsbooks offering the longest betting odds for their candidate of choice.

No domestic sportsbooks currently offer election betting odds, but online sportsbooks offer a wide assortment of political betting lines and props.

Questions About Law Enforcement Ties

One of the biggest potential areas of concern with a Biden-Harris ticket would be both politicians’ past connections with law enforcement.

Biden co-authored the controversial 1994 crime bill that has been partially blamed for the current state of mass incarceration of black Americans.

Harris formerly served as San Francisco’s district attorney and California’s Attorney General. Progressives have accused her of fighting to keep innocent people in prison and of failing to adequately combat corruption in California police departments.

As with every candidate, Harris presents a high degree of both risk and reward, but she will need to address question marks on her resume if the Democrats hope to win enough votes to defeat President Trump in November.

Momentum seems to be moving against a Trump reelection as unrest spreads throughout the U.S., but his and Biden’s election betting odds still remain close.

Trump (+110) is the underdog to Biden (-140), giving even more incentive for political bettors looking to get in on the action of vice president.

News tags: 1994 crime bill | Amy Klobuchar | Atlanta | California Attorney General | Civil War | Derek Chauvin | Donald Trump | Emancipation Day | Freedom Day | George Floyd | Gordon Ranger | Joe Biden | Juneteenth | Kamala Harris | Keisha Lance Bottoms | Minneapolis | Minnesota | San Francisco | Susan Rice | Val Demings | Vice President