A data-rich report published by a British newspaper yesterday, Wednesday, indicates that Kamala Harris leans towards selecting Mark Kelly, a former astronaut and fighter pilot currently serving as a U.S. Senator from Arizona, as her vice president. The newspaper described this choice as a "huge pick," making Kelly the most suitable candidate for the position, according to Democratic strategists who view the astronaut, who has traveled 32 million kilometers in various space missions, as a significant competitor.
Kelly, one year older than Harris, who is 59, completed 39 missions as a pilot in the U.S. Navy during the Gulf War, which concluded with the liberation of Kuwait from Iraqi invasion. He later retired to care for his wife, Gabrielle Giffords—an actress and former Congresswoman—who was shot during an assassination attempt, as noted in the report. It emphasized his strong record on immigration "and can help support Harris in Trump-supporting areas," according to ABC News.
Regarding Giffords, who is now 54, she survived an assassination attempt in 2011 that resulted in six deaths during an attack in a Tucson supermarket in Arizona. Kelly dedicated himself to assisting her after she became disabled due to a bullet that struck her head, and the couple became ardent advocates for gun control. Kelly subsequently entered politics, winning a tough Senate race in 2020 for John McCain's seat, and was re-elected two years later, defeating Republican Blake Masters—endorsed by Donald Trump—by over 125,000 votes.
Kelly also has a significant record on abortion, advocating for women's access to Arizona, which imposed a 15-week ban. Democratic strategist Jason Oritz commented on Kelly, stating he has "run tough races in a tough state. While Trump chose JD Vance as his running mate, Kelly will differentiate the ticket, as Democrats need the help," adding that "Republicans should be very nervous" about Kelly potentially becoming vice president. Columnist Karen Tumulty of the Washington Post described Kelly as "the smartest choice."
The former pilot and astronaut has thus far avoided questions about taking on the vice presidential role but told ABC News, "It's not about me, and I will focus on doing everything I can to ensure her (Harris) election, because we cannot repeat what we saw between 2016 and 2020 in terms of negativity," referring to the election of Trump and subsequently Biden.
