As Vice President Harris considers who she would like to run alongside, Sen. Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.) has emerged near the top of her list of potential running mates.
Kelly has been sent screening materials as one of a handful of Democrats being considered for the role. As a military veteran and former astronaut, Kelly has a unique background compared to the other candidates under consideration.
He also enjoys strong popularity in Arizona, a purple battleground state that could determine the winner of November’s election.
“I think we need people who have national ID and have been tested to some extent. [Kelly] “That brings it up,” said Matt Grodzki, a former communications director for the state Democratic Party and a Democratic strategist.
Democrats have enthusiastically supported Kerry since he first won his Senate seat in a 2020 special election to fill the remainder of the term of the late Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.). Kerry was then elected to serve a full senator term in 2022.
In both cases, he won by a few points, outperforming President Biden in the state in 2020 and current Gov. Katie Hobbs (D) in 2022.
Strategists and other observers said Kerry’s strong showing in the battleground state was a testament to his political acumen and could have ripple effects beyond Arizona to other key states.
Kelly served in the Navy and flew dozens of missions during Operation Desert Storm during the Gulf War before being selected as a NASA astronaut, his records state. biography “He flew into space four times and retired in 2011,” he said on the Senate website.
Grodzky said Kerry’s record gives him a level of “legitimacy” to speak out on military, defense and foreign policy issues that other candidates don’t have, and could bring more crossover appeal to the shortlist.
“This appeals to everyone, whether that’s moderate Republicans, independents, John McCain supporters, I think it’s important not just to get votes in Arizona and battleground states, but across the country,” he said.
Kelly dismissed speculation about himself as a potential vice presidential candidate, but did not rule out the possibility of taking the role if offered by Harris.
“This isn’t about me. But I always think that when you have an opportunity to serve, it’s very important that you do,” he told reporters on Thursday.
Kerry also recommended Republican vice presidential nominee Sen. J.D. Vance (R-Ohio) as his running mate. position Such as his comments about Ukraine and when an Ohio senator said in 2021 that “childless, cat-loving women” were running the country.
Kelly is one of several Democrats being watched as they may join Harris, including Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro (D), Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear (D) and North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper (D).
Kerry has received praise from his Senate colleagues, with Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) highlighting Kerry’s ability to appeal to non-Democrat voters in key battleground states.
“Someone who has been able to demonstrate the ability to win not just the votes and enthusiasm of Democrats, but more than that, that’s the track record you want to see,” he said.
Sen. Bob Casey, D-Pennsylvania, said Kerry is a capable and competent senator whose “strong” national security background will help boost Democrats’ chances of victory in battleground states, including Pennsylvania.
Each of Mr. Kelly’s electoral victories demonstrates his ability to draw more voters into his coalition: In 2020, he was able to flip populous Maricopa County, which has voted Republican for decades.
In 2022, Kelly won reelection by about five percentage points, winning two districts that elected Republicans to the House of Representatives.
Strategists said Kerry’s policy record explains his appeal.
Adam Kinsey, former executive director of the Pima County Democratic Party in Arizona and a Democratic consultant, said Kerry is in a “unique” position to discuss border security issues as a senator from a border state and the person who pushed for the immigration bill agreed to by Senate Democrats and Republicans.
The bill briefly looked like it had a chance to move forward, but it fizzled when former President Donald Trump voiced his opposition, calling it a “devastating disaster.” Democrats see Trump’s opposition to the bill as evidence that he wants to play a major role in the election campaign on immigration rather than fixing a potential weakness for the party.
“Mark is in a great position to say, ‘I represent a border state over there. I know exactly what’s going on,'” Kinsey said. “And I think this is a way for him, for the Democratic Party, to have an expert on this situation speak with authority.”
Mr. Kelly also has a personal connection to the issue of political violence, which has come under renewed scrutiny following the shooting at a Trump rally earlier this month. Mr. Kelly’s wife, former Rep. Gabby Giffords (D-Ariz.), was shot in the head in Tucson in 2011, a case that drew national attention.
Giffords and Kelly founded a nonprofit to support gun control in the aftermath of the shooting, and Kelly has advocated for measures like expanded background checks and red flag laws, but he is also a gun owner and has sought to position himself as a supporter of the Second Amendment even as he calls for reform.
“Republicans often tend to accuse Democrats of being ‘gun control’,” Kinsey said. “That’s not what Senator Kerry is. He’s not that kind of person, but he is very passionate about gun safety.”
At the same time, a potential downside is that Kelly, if elected, would lose his senate seat, requiring the governor to appoint an interim replacement and hold a special election that Republicans could win in 2026. That could be especially risky given that Democrats already hold a slim majority in the Senate.
But he might be considered the right choice at this point: Kelly has also been particularly effective at raising large amounts of money. To It will spend about $90 million during the 2022 election cycle.
“Frankly, you have someone like Mark Kelly who has the authority, the legislative track record, the really compelling resume, the ability to raise money and take on those on the other side, so he seems like the best choice,” Kinsey said.
