   a running mate is a person running together with another person on a joint ticket during an election. the term is most often used in reference to the person in the subordinate position (such as the vice presidential candidate running with a presidential candidate) but can also properly be used when referring to both candidates, such as "michael dukakis and lloyd bentsen were running mates in 1988". the term is usually used in the united states, in reference to a prospective vice president. in some states, candidates for lieutenant governor run on a ticket with gubernatorial candidates, and are also known as running mates. == in united states politics == in the united states, "running mate" refers to a candidate for vice president (federal) or, in those states where the governor and lieutenant governor are elected together, to a candidate for lieutenant governor (state). historically, running mates were chosen by political parties in consultation with the principal candidate (i.e., the person running for president or governor). in the late 1960s, it became the practice of the principal candidate in presidential elections to announce his preferred choice of running mate at his political party's national convention. the current practice is for the presumptive nominee of a political party to announce his choice for running mate before the national convention which, because of the extensive primary election and caucus system, is becoming increasingly irrelevant. some states (e.g., michigan) exactly mirror the federal process above for their gubernatorial elections, while others continue to hold separate votes for gubernatorial and lieutenant gubernatorial candidates; and some states have abolished or never had the office of lieutenant governor. meanwhile, some states, like california and texas, still elect the governor and lieutenant governor on separate tickets, and frequently from different political parties. this was the case when george w. bush was governor of texas. his first lieutenant governor, bob bullock, was a democrat. in cases like this, the governor and lieutenant governor are not considered running mates because they are not elected on the same ticket. the practice of running candidates for president and vice president together evolved in the nineteenth century. originally, electors cast two ballots for president and whoever took second place in the tabulation became vice president. starting in 1804, the president and vice president were elected on separate ballots. as more and more states subsequently began to choose their electors by popular election instead of appointment (south carolina being the last state to change, in 1860), candidates began to realize they could run
Vice_Presidency_of_the_United_States_terminology