Sen. Mark Kelly rumored as possible running mate for Harris if Biden drops out

If President Biden ends his re-election campaign and Democrats get a new presidential nominee, Arizona U.S. Sen. Mark Kelly is among the names circulating as a possible running mate for Vice President Kamala Harris.

Why it matters: Kelly could bring a lot of advantages to a national ticket with Harris , including representing a swing state, a sympathetic personal story with his wife, former U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, and cred as a combat veteran and former astronaut.

The big picture: Speculation in various media reports is swirling around Kelly and a handful of other prominent Democrats as possible vice presidential nominees.

• Pressure continues to mount on Biden to withdraw amid questions and concerns about his age and mental faculties.
• Biden has consistently committed to continuing his campaign, but many Democrats believe he'll soon bow out of the race.

Zoom in: A recent polling memo from BlueLabs Analytics listed Kelly as one of several Democrats polling better than Biden in a matchup against former President Trump.

Yes, but: Kelly has consistently reiterated his support for Biden since the debate ignited the movement to replace him as the Democratic nominee.

• That hasn't changed since Kelly's name surfaced as a potential vice presidential candidate.
• "I think the reality of this situation is that President Biden and Kamala Harris are our nominees," Kelly said on MSNBC on July 17. "We've got to make sure that we work as hard as possible, not make any mistakes here. And if we do that, I'm confident that Joe Biden and Kamala Harris can be re-elected."
• In response to reporting that Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer urged Biden to step aside, Kelly said on MSNBC he didn't want to speak for his colleagues, but acknowledged there are "differing views."

What they're saying: "As Senator Kelly has said repeatedly, Joe Biden and Kamala Harris are our nominees and he's going to keep working hard to make sure they win in November and keep Donald Trump out of the White House," Kelly spokesperson Jacob Peters said in a statement to Axios on Friday.

State of play: Other rumored Democratic running mates are Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro and Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer.

Between the lines: If Kelly were elected vice president, he would have to resign his Senate seat, and Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs would appoint a replacement.

• That appointee would have to run in a special election to serve out the remainder of the term, as Kelly did in 2020 when he ran against Republican Martha McSally, who was appointed to John McCain's seat.
• In that scenario, Arizona would have Senate races in every election from 2016 to 2030.