This article lists those who were potential candidates for the Democratic nomination for

vice president of the United States The vice president of the United States (VPOTUS) is the second-highest ranking office in the Executive branch of the United States government, executive branch of the U.S. federal government, after the president of the United States, and ranks f ...

in the 1984 election. Former Vice President

Walter Mondale Walter Frederick "Fritz" Mondale (January 5, 1928April 19, 2021) was the 42nd vice president of the United States serving from 1977 to 1981 under President Jimmy Carter. He previously served as a U.S. senator from Minnesota from 1964 to 1976. ...

won the 1984 Democratic nomination for

president of the United States The president of the United States (POTUS) is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president directs the Federal government of the United States#Executive branch, executive branch of the Federal government of t ...

, and chose New York Representative

Geraldine Ferraro Geraldine Anne Ferraro (August 26, 1935 March 26, 2011) was an American politician, diplomat, and attorney. She served in the United States House of Representatives from 1979 to 1985, and was the Democratic Party's nominee for vice presiden ...

as his running mate. Ferraro was the first woman to be a part of a national ticket for a major party. Mondale chose Ferraro in hopes of energizing the base and winning the votes of women, but also because he viewed her as a solid legislator who had won the approval of Speaker

Tip O'Neill Thomas Phillip "Tip" O'Neill Jr. (December 9, 1912 – January 5, 1994) was an American Democratic Party politician from Massachusetts who served as the 47th speaker of the United States House of Representatives from 1977 to 1987, the third-l ...

. If elected, she would have been the first female vice president but the feat would later be accomplished by

Kamala Harris Kamala Devi Harris ( ; born October 20, 1964) is an American politician and attorney who served as the 49th vice president of the United States from 2021 to 2025 under President Joe Biden. She is the first female, first African American, and ...

2020 The year 2020 was heavily defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to global Social impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, social and Economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, economic disruption, mass cancellations and postponements of even ...

. The Mondale–Ferraro ticket ultimately lost to the

Reagan Ronald Wilson Reagan (February 6, 1911 – June 5, 2004) was an American politician and actor who served as the 40th president of the United States from 1981 to 1989. He was a member of the Republican Party and became an important figure in ...

– Bush ticket. Until

2024 The year saw the list of ongoing armed conflicts, continuation of major armed conflicts, including the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the Myanmar civil war (2021–present), Myanmar civil war, the Sudanese civil war (2023–present), Sudane ...

, this was the last time the Democratic vice presidential nominee was neither the incumbent vice president nor a senator.

Speculation

On December 10, 1983, the Alabama Legislative Black Caucus endorsed Mondale for president and

Jesse Jackson Jesse Louis Jackson (Birth name#Maiden and married names, né Burns; born October 8, 1941) is an American Civil rights movements, civil rights activist, Politics of the United States, politician, and ordained Baptist minister. Beginning as a ...

for vice president.

George McGovern George Stanley McGovern (July 19, 1922 – October 21, 2012) was an American politician, diplomat, and historian who was a U.S. representative and three-term U.S. senator from South Dakota, and the Democratic Party (United States), Democ ...

supported selecting

Gary Hart Gary Warren Hart (''né'' Hartpence; born November 28, 1936) is an American politician, diplomat, and lawyer. He was the front-runner for the 1984 and 1988 Democratic presidential nominations, until in 1988, he dropped out amid revelations of ex ...

as the vice presidential nominee.

Cecil Andrus Cecil Dale Andrus (August 25, 1931 – August 24, 2017) was an American politician who served as 26th and 28th List of Governors of Idaho, governor of Idaho, for a total of fourteen years. A Democrat, he also served as United States Secretary of ...

, the co-chair of Mondale's presidential campaign, stated that he should pick a woman to serve as his running mate. He suggested

Pat Schroeder Patricia Nell Scott Schroeder (July 30, 1940 – March 13, 2023) was an American politician who represented Colorado's 1st congressional district in the United States House of Representatives from 1973 to 1997. A member of the Democratic Party, ...

and

Dianne Feinstein Dianne Emiel Feinstein (; June 22, 1933 – September 29, 2023) was an American politician who served as a United States senator from California from 1992 until her death in 2023. A member of the Democratic Party, she served as the 38th ...

Selection

John R. Reilly, an attorney and a senior adviser to Mondale, managed the search for a running mate. Mondale seriously considered Hart, but Mondale refused to consider a second rival,

, on the grounds that the differences between their policies were too great. Mondale conducted interviews with Feinstein and

Lloyd Bentsen Lloyd Millard Bentsen Jr. (February 11, 1921 – May 23, 2006) was an American politician who served as the 69th United States secretary of the treasury under President Bill Clinton from 1993 to 1994. He served as a United States senator from ...

. The

National Organization for Women The National Organization for Women (NOW) is an American feminist organization. Founded in 1966, it is legally a 501(c)(4) social welfare organization. The organization consists of 550 chapters in all 50 U.S. states and in Washington, D.C. It ...

demanded that a woman be selected.

Finalists

File:Tom Bradley (9501733131) (cropped).jpg, File:Henry Cisneros (P15195).jpg, File:Dianne Feinstein holding the torch during the 1984 Summer Olympics (cropped).jpg, File:Geraldine Ferraro campaigning at Ft. Lauderdale, 4-27-84 (cropped).jpg, File:Gary Hart, 1984 presidential campaign (cropped).jpg, alt=SenatorGary Hartfrom Colorado(1975–1987),

Media speculation on possible vice presidential candidates

Members of Congress File:Lloyd Bentsen (1).jpg, alt=, File:Joe Biden, official 104th Congress photo.png, File:Bill Bradley P01255-06 a.jpg, File:Bumpers77 (cropped).jpg, File:Christopher Dodd official portrait.jpg, File:John Glenn Low Res (cropped).jpg, alt=, File:FritzHollings.jpg, alt=, File:Sam Nunn official portrait.jpg, Governors File:Sam Brown Action (cropped).jpg, File:Gov. Bill Clinton 1983 (cropped).jpg, File:Governor Mario Cuomo of NY in 1987 color (cropped).jpg, File:Dukakis campaign portrait 3x4.jpg, File:Bob Graham at press conference.jpg, File:Governor White 70th Leg 1987 (cropped).jpg, Other Individuals File:Wilsonjohn (cropped).jpg, File:Lee Iacocca -- Ellis Island (NY NJ) September 1990 (24260443970) (cropped2).jpg,

References

Works cited