An American pundit has sparked controversy for sugging that it would be a “risk” for Kamala Harris to name a Jew as her running mate if she is nominated by the Democrats as the party's presidential candidate.

During a conversation on CNN about options for a Democratic vice president, correspondent John King said that Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro was a contender but remarked: “He's Jewish. There could be some risks with putting him on the ticket."

In the segment with Anderson Cooper, King, who converted to Judaism after marrying fellow CNN host Dana Bash, said: “He’s a first-term governor, he’s Jewish, there could be some risks in putting him on the ticket, but certainly some of our voters here in Pennsylvania said, ‘Hey, we like Gov. Shapiro, give him a look,'” King said on CNN Sunday night.

“He’s certainly under consideration,” King went on, referencing discussions with allies of Vice President Kamala Harris.

CNN has come under fire from Israel activists for the apparent suggestion that a Jew on the Democrat ticket would be risky.

Lawyer and CEO of the International Legal Forum, Arsen Ostrovsky, commented, “It says a lot about the state of American politics, and perhaps especially in progressive circles, that one of the ‘cons’ of Kamala Harris selecting Gov. Josh Shapiro as her VP, is that he is Jewish and the pushback this might receive.”

Comments underneath a clip of the conversation suggest that a Jewish VP might reduce the chance of the Democrats winning Michigan, a key swing state with America’s largest Arab-American population.

If selected, Shapiro would be the first Jewish candidate for VP since Joe Lieberman’s unsuccessful run with Democratic nominee Al Gore in 2000.

Shapiro is Pennsylvania’s third Jewish governor. An observant Conservative (Masorti) Jew, the Democrat keeps kosher and sends his children to Jewish schools but is not believed to be Shomer Shabbat.

He has been a supporter of Israel and, since October 7, has been a voice against antisemitism in America.

In December 2023, he said: "Israel not only has a right, they have a responsibility to rid the region of Hamas and the terror that Hamas can perpetrate."

He has opposed ceasefire calls while Hamas remains in power and has criticised Israeli politicians, calling Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu "a failed leader" for pushing controversial judicial reforms.

Should a Harris-Shapiro ticket win in November, Shapiro would become the second Jewish resident of the Vice Presidential residence, after current Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff.

Kamala Harris has become the favourite for the Democratic Party nomination after President Joe Biden endorsed her. In the race against the Republican ticket, Shapiro has already endorsed a Harris nomination, saying: “The contrast in this race could not be clearer, the road to victory in November runs through Pennsylvania.”

Shapiro is one of two Jewish politicians rumoured to be contenders for VP. Governor of Illinois, J B Pritzker has been named as a possible pick for the November election.

A member of the Jewish Pritzker family, who rose to prominence in business and philanthropy during the late 20th century, Pritzker is a lawyer and has served as Governor of Illinois since 2019.

He donates to Jewish causes, including the Illinois Holocaust Museum and Education Center, and served on the national board of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee.

Pritzker told a Jewish newspaper that his childhood was defined by Jewish values: “I’ve often said it’s hard to separate the values of my parents and the values of my religion.”

“When we would go to temple and listen to discussions, there was no difference between the things being taught at temple and those being taught at home… The basic things you learn from your rabbi and teachers are the same things we were learning from experiences with our parents.”

Although Pritzker publicly supported a Biden ticket, he was caught earlier this month saying, “I don’t like where we are”.

Other names raised as possible picks for Harris include Michigan governor, Gretchen Whitmer, California governor, Gavin Newsom, the governor of Kentucky, Andy Beshear, Maryland governor, Wes Moore, former presidential hopeful, Pete Buttigieg and Arizona senator, Mark Kelly.

US vice presidents serve as principal advisors to the president and preside over the Senate.