Arizona could change if Mark Kelly becomes vice president

Mark Kelly on a presidential ticket sparks a host of questions, including what effect it'd have on the U.S. Senate for Arizona.

Arizona Republic

Happy Monday. In today’s opinions newsletter: Mark Kelly’s VP readiness, risks for Republicans and Democrats now that Biden is out, plus a murderer who could soon walk free.

Of course, there had to be an Arizona angle to President Biden’s decision to drop out of the race.

Arizona Sen. Mark Kelly’s name is surfacing in discussions about a short list of vice president candidates following the shocking, if not unanticipated, news on Sunday.

My colleague Elvia Diaz proclaims that Kelly is ready.

She’s not the first to say it, even among our staff. Greg Moore noted two weeks ago that the first-term senator has the credentials and life story to be in contention.

The discussion of Mark Kelly sparks a number of questions, including whether Democrats really want a second Westerner on the presidential ticket and the risk it’d pose for the party in the divided U.S. Senate.

A departure would trigger a special election to fill the remainder of his term, which runs through 2028. (Kelly himself became a senator via a special election in 2020 to succeed John McCain, who died of glioblastoma. He won a full term in 2022.)

If Kelly were picked, could he help Democrats win swing-state Arizona, where Trump currently holds about a 10-point edge?

Would that also help assure Ruben Gallego and the Democrats a Senate victory over Kari Lake?

Until there’s clarity about the presidential ticket, Mark Kelly will be top of mind for Arizona Democrats.