PHOENIX — The latest upheaval in the presidential campaign could be of astronomical proportions.
Well, sort of. Arizona Sen. Mark Kelly, a former astronaut and Navy veteran, is considered one of the front-runners to be Vice President Kamala Harris’ running mate after President Biden announced he was dropping out of the race.
And he could help address one of the biggest issues for Democratic candidates: how voters view the administration’s border management.
The Harris campaign has reportedly sent screening materials to Kerry, along with other candidates including Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro.
Picking either politician would be an attempt for Harris to improve her chances of winning each battleground state: a win in Arizona would give a candidate 11 electoral votes, and in Pennsylvania 19.
Speculation that Mark Kelly would be the Democratic nominee didn’t emerge out of nowhere — it came after his supporters had long hoped he would run for higher office.
Reports His name was even being floated as a possible presidential candidate before Biden dropped out of the race.
Kelly’s social media activity suggests he is aware of the possibility and is interested in the position.
A video posted to one of his official accounts on Tuesday highlighted his military background and linked to an interview he participated in this month.
“The Vice President [Kamala Harris] “Harris is the right person to defeat Donald Trump and lead our Country into the future. I support her nomination, and Gabby and I will do everything in our power to elect her President of the United States,” Biden tweeted from his campaign account on Sunday afternoon, shortly after confirming Harris as his successor.
His wife is former Rep. Gabby Giffords, who was shot in Tucson in 2011 and now runs a progressive firearms policy group called simply “Giffords.”
Kelly was first elected to the Senate in 2020, defeating former Republican Sen. Martha McSally, who was appointed to the Senate by former Republican Gov. Doug Ducey after the death of Sen. John McCain in 2018.
Shortly after McCain’s death, the seat was briefly held by former Senator John Kyl.
The Democratic candidate defeated Republican candidate Blake Masters by 125,719 votes to win re-election in 2022.
If Mr. Kerry is selected, he could pursue a similar strategy with his running mate, Sen. J.D. Vance, because both Republicans are seen as close allies of tech billionaire Peter Thiel.
The selection may improve Arizona’s chances of winning the ticket, but the numbers show it’s still an uphill battle.
There has been little polling on the Trump-Harris race in Arizona and no notable movement since Biden’s withdrawal, but recent polls have given the Republican an average lead of 7 percentage points, according to The Hill.
Kelly has been a major supporter of the Biden-Harris administration but has also occasionally criticized it on border policy, particularly at the start of the crisis in 2021 and while Kelly is seeking reelection in 2022.
“When the president decided to do something stupid on this and make rule changes that would create a bigger crisis, I told him he was wrong, and that’s why I’ve repeatedly disagreed with this administration,” Kerry said at a debate that year.
Harris has already begun to face criticism from Trump over the border issue, which polls have consistently shown to be one of voters’ biggest concerns in this election.
“Kamala Harris, the Biden-appointed ‘border czar’ liar who has never been to the border, has created the worst, most dangerous border in the world because of her incompetence, yet has the worst approval ratings against a fine young man called Donald J. Trump! Democrats, be careful what you wish for???” he posted on Truth Social on Monday.
If Harris and Kerry win the presidential election, the battleground Senate seat will again be left vacant, subject to an appointment by Democratic Governor Katie Hobbs and a special election in 2026.
This means that with a term-ending election in 2028 and a likely re-election campaign in 2030, Arizona will have eight consecutive senatorial elections between the two seats from 2016 to 2030.
Republican Rep. Kali Lake and Democrat Reuben Gallego are vying this year for the seat held by departing independent Sen. Kyrsten Sinema.
