Mark Kelly confident his seat would stay blue if he gets tapped to be vice president – Washington Examiner
Senator Mark Kelly (D-AZ) expressed confidence that his Senate seat would remain Democratic if he were chosen to serve as Vice President, noting Arizona’s recent trend of electing Democrats in statewide races, including his own victories since 2018. Speaking to CNN, Kelly acknowledged that he is one of several potential candidates being considered for the vice presidency alongside Kamala Harris. He believes that a successor from the Democratic Party would be elected if he were to step down, citing the state’s shifting political landscape in recent elections. Historically, Arizona had been dominated by Republican senators until the election of Senator Kyrsten Sinema in 2018 and his own election in 2020.
Mark Kelly confident his seat would stay blue if he gets tapped to be vice president
Despite Arizona only recently becoming a comfortable state for Democrats, Sen. Mark Kelly (D-AZ) is confident his seat would stay blue should he need to step down to serve as Vice President Kamala Harris’s right-hand man.
When speaking to CNN’s Manu Raju, Kelly said he thinks his vacant seat will not be a problem and that Arizonans would elect another Democrat. Kelly is one of several names Harris is reportedly considering to be her running mate, including Govs. Josh Shapiro (D-PA), Tim Walz (D-MN), and Andy Beshear (D-KY).
“Democrats have been really good about winning statewide races in the state of Arizona,” Kelly said, pointing to Democratic wins during the 2018, 2020, and 2022 cycles.
Before 2018, Democrats in Arizona had not won a Senate race since 1995, as the GOP dominated Arizona’s representation in the Senate. Arizona voters elected then-Democrat Sen. Kyrsten Sinema in 2018 and then Kelly in a 2020 special election and again in 2022.
During the 2022 midterm elections, Arizona also voted for its first Democratic governor in 15 years, Katie Hobbs, and elected the state’s first Democratic attorney general, Kris Mayes, since 2011.
“We figured this out. We have a strong state party, and I imagine we’re going to be successful from now going into the future. … I don’t think it’ll be an issue. I think we’ve got a great slate of other Democrats, but this is not about me,” Kelly said.
If Kelly were to be picked for the vice presidential role and the Harris-Kelly ticket was successful on Election Day, Arizonans would have an election for Senate every election year from 2016 until 2030.
Harris is reportedly planning on campaigning with her yet-to-be-named running mate in Philadelphia on Tuesday. When asked about this, Kelly said his plans for next week include “a full schedule in Arizona” and spending time with his grandchildren.
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