Mark Kelly's VP pitfalls: China tech ties resurface

U.S. Sen. Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.) appears to check nearly every box as an unproblematic moderate running mate for Vice President Kamala Harris . But if he's added to the presidential ticket, Republicans will surely try to take advantage of his political newness and scrutinize his past business dealings.

Why it matters: Kelly's mild-mannered demeanor, coupled with his past connections to foreign companies and dignitaries, could prove a liability on a national ticket.

The big picture: Kelly has caught national media attention in recent weeks for his compelling personal story: He's a combat veteran and former astronaut thrust into political life after his wife, former U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords , was shot and suffered a brain injury.

• His bipartisan bend has proved successful in Arizona — in both of his elections, he received more votes than any other Democrat on the state ballot, including President Biden.

Yes, but: His resume will draw scrutiny.

What they're saying: Kelly, whose team did not respond to a request for comment, dodged questions about his VP chances on MSNBC Wednesday saying, "I am going to be focused on making sure that Kamala is the next president."

Zoom in: In 2012, Kelly co-founded a space exploration company called World View , which received venture capital from Tencent , one of the largest tech companies in China.

• Kelly stopped working with World View in 2019 and placed his stock in a blind trust in 2021 . World View has said Tencent has never had input or access to company information and Tencent told Axios last year it had stopped investing in World View.
• That didn't stop Kelly's 2020 and 2022 opponents from flooding Arizona airwaves with ads about his China connection, attacks conservative outlets are now re-upping .

Speaker circuit: Kelly made at least $1.7 million speaking about space exploration at corporate engagements from 2018-2020, per his financial disclosures. Other candidates, like Hillary Clinton in 2016 , have been accused of being beholden to corporate interests because of these types of high-dollar speaking payments.

• In 2019, during his first Senate campaign, he returned a $55,000 payment for a lecture he gave in the United Arab Emirates sponsored by the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi.

Experience: Kelly has only 3½ years of elected experience.

• His political outsider vibe has worked in Arizona, but it's not clear if it would appeal to a national audience who may see it as a lack of polish, especially on the debate stage .

Sway: Kelly endorsed one candidate in Arizona's primary this week, Raquel Terán in the 3rd Congressional District.

• Her race is tight, but Teran's opponent Yassamin Ansari was leading 46%-43% as of Wednesday afternoon, calling into question how much pull Kelly would have over undecided Arizona voters.

What we're watching: Harris is expected to announce her pick next week, and some donors are speculating it will be a governor , not a senator.