Susan Rice Has 2nd-Best Odds to Be Joe Biden’s Running Mate

Susan Rice Odds to Be Joe Biden's Running Mate

Odds as of July 30 and via European sportsbook Betfair. If you’re new to betting, Susan Rice's +333 odds mean a $100 bet would net $333 if she's the Democratic VP nominee. Convert more with our Betting Odds Calculator.

Susan Rice isn't a household name.

Susan Rice has never run for elected office.

Susan Rice is on the short list to be Joe Biden's running mate.

In fact, Susan Rice — former national security advisor to the Barack Obama administration and one-time ambassador to the United Nations — has the second-best odds to be the Democratic vice presidential nominee.

Rice has a 23.09% implied probability of joining Biden's ticket, far behind Kamala Harris (63.69% implied probability) but the closest challenger according to the betting market.

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Despite being a relative unknown to the American public, Rice has emerged as a contender thanks to her strong relationship with Biden — the two served together for all eight years of the Obama presidency and have professional ties that date all the way back to the 1990s.

Rice had flown under the radar for much of this cycle with much of the buzz focused on Harris and other candidates, but Rice's odds improved to +1000 (9.09%) in mid-June, then were as short as +260 (27.78%) by mid-July. Now as we enter the final stretch of the selection process, with Biden saying he would announce his decision in the first week of August, Rice sits at +333 (23.09%).

If elected, Biden would be 78 when he assumes the presidency — eight years older than Donald Trump was when he became the oldest president to be inaugurated at 70 — so it's unlikely Biden would seek reelection in 2024. That puts further pressure on his decision as the party would likely prefer his running mate to be someone who could be their next presidential candidate.