Arizona senator, former astronaut and potential Harris VP pick? What to know about Mark Kelly
After Vice President Kamala Harris stepped in as the Democratic frontrunner in the presidential election following President Joe Biden's departure from the race, Democrats are racing to select Harris' running mate as she prepares to face the Republican nominee and former President Donald Trump in November.
Although no choices have been made yet, the Harris campaign has requested vetting materials from potential vice presidential nominee picks, including North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, Arizona Sen. Mark Kelly, Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker, based on previous reporting by USA TODAY.
Kelly, one of the few members of Congress being floated as Harris' VP pick, is viewed as a top contender for the job due to his military background and centrist position in the party. The Arizona senator also represents a key battleground state barely won by Biden in 2020 but is now being led by Republican nominee and former President Donald Trump.
More: Election live updates: Harris to make first campaign stop since Biden dropped out
Who is Mark Kelly?
A former astronaut and U.S. Navy captain, Kelly's political career began a few years ago when he ran to fill a seat held by former Arizona Sen. John McCain, who died from brain cancer in 2018. Kelly flipped the previously Republican seat in the 2020 special election to serve out the remaining two years of McCain's six-year term and won reelection in 2022 for a full term.
Kelly has been a centrist voice in Congress, criticizing the Biden Administration for its handling of immigration at the Southern border in 2022. Due to his background in science, he also helped shape the CHIPS and Science Act.
My first flight went about as well as loose change in a cockpit – literally.
My last flight brought my crew home from the @Space_Station and was Space Shuttle Endeavour’s final flight.
It’s not about how good you are when you start, it’s about how good you push yourself to be. pic.twitter.com/XV6FDUVmpI— Senator Mark Kelly (@SenMarkKelly) July 23, 2024
In 2022, Kelly campaigned heavily in support of abortion access, which has since become a prominent issue for voters in the state after the Arizona Supreme Court's reimplementation of a Civil War-era abortion law sparked a tug-of-war of political action and heated debate in the state.
After Harris announced she is seeking the Democratic nomination Sunday, Kelly was quick to endorse her, which contributed to the rumblings that he was a potential VP pick.
What did Kelly do before serving in Congress?
Before he was elected to Congress, Kelly, who grew up in West Orange, N.J., served in the U.S. Navy as a fighter pilot. In 1996, NASA accepted Mark and his identical twin brother, Scott, as space shuttle pilots. Kelly went on to fly four space shuttle missions.
In 2007, Kelly married former Democratic U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, who suffered a head injury in a 2011 mass shooting. Since then, Kelly has been a spokesman for gun-control reform. He completed his final space shuttle mission in 2011 and announced his NASA retirement shortly after, citing his wife's health needs.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Former astronaut, Arizona senator: Who is potential Harris VP pick, Mark Kelly?
