With Vice President Kamala Harris stepping in as the most likely Democratic presidential nominee following President Joe Biden's decision not to seek re-election, speculation now moves to who she will select as her running mate.
Her best shot, argued Eleanor Clift for The Daily Beast, is Sen. Mark Kelly (D-AZ).
"It’s early going in the process, but Kelly is emerging as the one who checks most of the boxes," wrote Clift. "'He’s so down to earth for someone who’s been vetted four times to go into space,' says a Kelly booster, noting that, 'He’s not an electric campaigner, but he’s what she needs — a very stable, grounded guy with a lot of experience, a hero too.'"
Clift pointed to Kelly's website, which states: "As a Navy pilot, he made multiple deployments on the aircraft carrier USS Midway and flew 39 combat missions in Operation Desert Storm."
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Furthermore, Kelly, she said, "is smart and cool in debate, and he’s tough on border issues, which could help blunt attacks on Harris as Biden’s 'border czar' who is complicit in the passage of illegal aliens entering the country."
Harris technically worked as Biden's strategist for "root cause" mitigation in Central America, rather than on border security, but Republicans have seized on this role as a frequent line of attack whenever surges occurred at the border.
An advantage to selecting Kelly would be that Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs would appoint a replacement, meaning that Democrats would not lose his seat in the Senate.
Other potential candidates for the ticket include Gov. Josh Shapiro (D-PA), Gov. Andy Beshear (D-KY), and Gov. Roy Cooper (D-NC).
One Democrat told The Beast, “She has one week to undo the image of her as a real left winger,” and that any of these candidates would help her do this. According to reports, Cooper is a "personal favorite" of Harris, who has made multiple speeches in North Carolina recently.
