Now that the dust has settled on the nomination process for the Democratic Party and the Republican Party, it’s time for Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump to choose their running mates.
Even though the vice presidential odds for elections betting just opened a week ago, we’ve already seen a lot of movement on some of the contenders. Join us as we discuss which candidates are worth betting on and which are overvalued at their current price.
Who Will Hillary Clinton Choose as Her Vice President?
Democrat VP Odds from BookMaker.eu (May 5th):   Â
Julian Castro +250
Tim Kaine +400
Elizabeth Warren +700
Martin O’Malley +900
Sherrod Brown +1000
Tom Perez +1100
John Hickenlooper +1500
Cory Booker +1500
Brian Schweitzer +1600
Bernie Sanders +1600
Joe Biden +1600
Evan Bayh +1800
Updated Odds (May 12th):
Julian Castro +200
Tim Kaine +400
Elizabeth Warren +730
Bernie Sanders +900
Martin O’Malley +1140
Tom Perez +1230
Sherrod Brown +1235
Cory Booker +1690
John Hickenlooper +1840
Joe Biden +1880
Brian Schweitzer +1900
Evan Bayh +2390
Julian Castro (+200)
Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Julian Castro is still the favorite to be chosen in Hillary Clinton’s vice president odds. Even though he has publicly distanced himself from such speculation, there are plenty of reasons why he is the frontrunner.
Castro is young, Hispanic, and energetic, and can help Clinton appeal to all different types of voters. Clinton has especially struggled with captivating young voters the way Barack Obama did and Bernie Sanders has.
Castro’s youth and position in the Obama Administration can help Clinton bring in crowds of younger voters and it’s a given that she has at least discussed the possibility of a Clinton-Castro ticket with the Secretary of HUD. He is the deserved favorite but his odds are too low to back him at this point.
Bernie Sanders (+900)
A lot of action has come in on Bernie Sanders to be Clinton’s running mate. There may be some logic behind this, given Sanders’ popularity and the possibility of Clinton feeling pressure from the bosses of the Democratic Party to put him on her ticket, but it’s very unlikely Sanders is a serious Democrat VP candidate.
It’s rare for candidates to select their main challengers as their running mates and it’s hard to nominate a 74-year-old for such an important position. The oldest VP to ever take office was 71 and it would be a tough sell to put him on the ballot when he’ll be 75 in September.
Elizabeth Warren (+730)
Instead of putting your money on Sanders, there is another New England Senator to back, Elizabeth Warren. While conventional wisdom might say that putting two women on the ballot may be risky, the vast majority of the voters that would find that idea abhorrent are likely already firm Trump supporters.
Warren has shown a willingness to battle Donald Trump head on that hasn’t been seen in other politicians and her selection would keep many of Sanders’ supporters from being disillusioned. She is a darling of the Democratic Party and recently Joe Biden stated that Warren would have been his pick for VP and at those odds it’s definitely worth placing a bet on her.
Who will Donald Trump Choose as His Vice President?
Republican VP Candidate Odds (May 5th): Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â
John Kasich +300
Chris Christie +400
Nikki Haley +800
Susana Martinez +800
Jeff Sessions +800
Newt Gingrich +1200
Marco Rubio +1200
Ted Cruz +1400
Mary Fallin +1400
Ben Carson +1600 Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â
Updated Odds (May 12th):
Susana Martinez +347
Newt Gingrich +390
John Kasich +423
Chris Christie +736
Marco Rubio +985
Jeff Sessions +1143
Nikki Haley +1148
Scott Walker +1800
Ted Cruz +1868
Ben Carson +2148
Susana Martinez (+347)
The Republican vice presidential betting odds have changed much more significantly than the Democratic ones and these are highlighted by the support of Susana Martinez and Newt Gingrich.
Martinez makes a lot of sense for Trump: she is the first Hispanic female governor elected and could potentially solve his problems in getting votes from Hispanics and women in the general election. Like Castro, she has denied any speculation of a potential spot on the ticket, but her denial is a lot stronger than Castro’s.
Martinez endorsed Marco Rubio during the Republican Primary and has openly critiqued Trump at multiple points in the last few months. While the Trump camp would love to have her on the ballot, it’s unlikely that she will sign on.
Newt Gingrich (+390)
Gingrich doesn’t make as much electoral sense as Martinez does. The type of voters he will bring in were already considered Trump supporters, but Gingrich and Trump have expressed mutual interest in sharing a ballot.
Gingrich’s presence on the ballot would at least give Trump someone with plenty of political experience and make his candidacy more acceptable to some Republicans. He is worth a small bet at his current odds, even though a lot of the value is now gone.
Scott Walker: A Long Shot (+1800)
If you’re looking at a long shot to bet here, take a long look at Scott Walker. Walker has been controversial but remains popular with a lot of voters in his home state of Wisconsin and many Republicans think that he has a future on the national stage.
He’s young and can help Trump get the Midwestern voters he sometimes had trouble reaching in the primary. As a plus, Walker has been very vocal in his criticism of Barack Obama and won’t be afraid to stir the pot to rile up his opponents.
What’s the future for sportsbooks in 2016 election odds? Read 2016 Presidential Odds: Sportsbooks Poised to Lose if Trump Wins
