With Sen. Bernie Sanders out of the race, the Joe Biden campaign is now moving into the fraught and delicate process of choosing a running mate.

Biden, at age 77, would be the oldest president ever elected should he triumph in November, making the vice president pick more important than ever.

“I think he’s aware that he might be picking the next president. I think people are going to be more aware of that, too,” Democratic strategist James Carville told The Post.

Biden has promised to choose a woman as his running mate, but beyond that, the field remains wide open with a dizzying array of candidates to choose from.

As a general rule, the nominee looks to choose a running mate who can balance the ticket and bring in attributes he or she is lacking.

Some have speculated Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren would be Biden’s best hope to prevent a much-feared Bernie Broxit. Others say a candidate from the Rust Belt or industrial Midwest like Sen. Amy Klobuchar is what’s needed to shore up the swing states lost to Trump in 2016. Other says Michelle Obama would be the magic bullet to make the ticket invincible, though she reportedly hates the idea.

“If they’re smart, they will beg her to do it. And there is a really strong case to be made that she should,” offered another senior Democratic insider.

The needs of the ticket are bad news for ambitious pols like Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who represents the northeastern establishment Democrats Biden already has locked up. If Biden decides to break his pledge, experts say it won’t be to add Cuomentum.

The Biden campaign declined to offer any names or comment on anyone’s chances, but a campaign insider and other senior party insiders offered the following assessment:

FRONTRUNNER:

Amy Klobuchar

The Minnesota Senator surprised many Democrats with her scrappy and tenacious 2020 campaign effort. “She could be No. 1” on Biden’s short list, the insider said. Klobuchar’s decision to end her campaign before Super Tuesday allowed Biden to consolidate the moderate/establishment wing of the Democratic party and set the groundwork for his eventual triumph over Sanders.

A Senate insider told The Post Klobuchar had standout “political skills” and was also the favorite of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. Team Biden also hopes her presence on the ticket will help nail down a critical swing state.

CONTENDERS

Kamala Harris, Gretchen Whitmer, Tammy Duckworth

The second tier includes California Sen. Harris, Michigan Gov. Whitmer and Illinois Sen. Duckworth. Harris, the only African-American candidate, might help juice critically important black turnout. Whitmer’s coronavirus leadership in Michigan has won praise, turning her into something of a midwestern Andrew Cuomo. Duckworth, who lost both her legs fighting in Iraq, would bring a war hero onto the ticket.

LONGSHOTS

Catherine Cortez Masto, Michelle Lujan Grisham, Stacey Abrams, Michelle Obama, Elizabeth Warren

Nevada Sen. Masto, New Mexico Gov. Grisham, and (almost) Georgia Gov. Abrams are “in the mix,” according to the Biden insider. Both Masto and Grisham could potentially shore up Biden with Hispanic voters, who overwhelmingly chose Sanders in the Nevada caucus. Abrams, a former state legislator and romance novelist, has fallen out of the top tier due to concerns about her lack of experience. “[Biden] wants someone, where if he dies, someone can take over on Day 1 ready to serve,” the insider said.

Elizabeth Warren, another long-shot, would be the best olive branch the party could offer to Bernie Bros, but she has been cool to Biden since leaving the race, and hasn’t officially endorsed him. “I think [Warren] is smart. Her competency is off the charts, she understands economic issues better than anyone who ran this cycle,” said Elizabeth Spiers, a Democratic strategist.

While Michelle Obama would give the party a near-mythical “Biden/Obama” ticket, Mrs. Obama “hates politics” according to the insider and would never accept the offer. Her husband has also notably not endorsed his former veep yet.

NO CHANCE

Hillary Clinton, Andrew Cuomo

The failed 2016 nominee and current coronavirus hero are non-starters, an insider said. First, Biden “doesn’t like” Hillary. “If Biden wants to make sure he loses he should pick [Hillary],” the source said. And while it’s not impossible Biden could break his pledge to pick a woman — it won’t be for Cuomo.

BIDEN VEEP RACE ODDS

Senior Democratic party insiders gave The Post the following odds:

• Amy Klobuchar 5 to 2

• Gretchen Whitmer 4 to 1

• Kamala Harris 9 to 1

• Tammy Duckworth 9 to 1

• Michelle Obama 15 to 1

• Elizabeth Warren 20 to 1

• Stacey Abrams 25 to 1

• Catherine Cortez Masto 25 to 1

• Michelle Lujan Grisham 33 to 1

• Hillary Clinton 100 to 1

• Andrew Cuomo 500 to 1