--- title: The Case for Mark Kelly as Kamala Harris’ VP Pick description: Kelly’s story, if attached to the Harris ticket, would strengthen the Democratic quest for victory, write Marvin Kalb and Garrett Mitchell. canonical: https://time.com/7002531/case-for-mark-kelly-kamala-harris-vp-essay/ author: Marvin Kalb article:opinion: true article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2024-07-24T15:29:26.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-04-30T11:03:18.871Z article:section: Ideas og:title: The Case for Mark Kelly as Kamala Harris’ VP Pick og:description: Kelly’s story, if attached to the Harris ticket, would strengthen the Democratic quest for victory. og:url: https://time.com/7002531/case-for-mark-kelly-kamala-harris-vp-essay/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltfd3a8fda9c4fe6e3/698a59239862f56d63895f3b/mark-kelly-vp-pick-june-2024.jpg?branch=production&width=1024&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 1024 og:image:height: 576 og:image:alt: mark-kelly-vp-pick-june-2024 og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: The Case for Mark Kelly as Kamala Harris’ VP Pick twitter:description: Kelly’s story, if attached to the Harris ticket, would strengthen the Democratic quest for victory. twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltfd3a8fda9c4fe6e3/698a59239862f56d63895f3b/mark-kelly-vp-pick-june-2024.jpg?branch=production&width=1024&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # The Case for Mark Kelly as Kamala Harris’ VP Pick > Sponsored content. 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It explains how TIME's journalism is made, from the first pitch through the editorial decisions behind a finished story or cover. #### How can I read about how TIME chooses its covers? Inside TIME is the newsletter where TIME's Editor-in-Chief explains cover selection and the editorial reasoning behind major stories. It is free at time.com/newsletters. #### Who is the editor of TIME? Sam Jacobs is TIME's Editor-in-Chief. He writes Inside TIME, a twice-weekly newsletter about the newsroom's reporting and editorial decisions. #### Is Inside TIME free? Yes. Inside TIME is a free newsletter, available at time.com/newsletters. A paid TIME subscription is separate and available at time.com/subscribe-agent. ### Sources * TIME Newsletters: [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-inside-2026q3/newsletters?i=76c63f67-2c4b-4989-9117-ec6d661b1386&cr=time-nl-inside-2026q3-v1) by [Marvin Kalb](https://time.com/author/marvin-kalb/) and [Garrett Mitchell](https://time.com/author/garrett-mitchell/) Jul 24, 2024 3:29 PM UTC  Sen. Mark Kelly speaks to members of the media outside of the West Wing of the White House in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday, June 4, 2024. Sen. Mark Kelly speaks to members of the media outside of the West Wing of the White House in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday, June 4, 2024. Al Drago—Bloomberg/Getty Images by [Marvin Kalb](https://time.com/author/marvin-kalb/) and [Garrett Mitchell](https://time.com/author/garrett-mitchell/) Jul 24, 2024 3:29 PM UTC In the blink of an eye on Sunday last, the 2024 presidential race was totally transformed by Joe Biden’s [historic withdrawal](https://time.com/7001028/why-joe-biden-stepped-down/), followed by his immediate “full support and endorsement”of running mate, [Vice President Kamala Harris](https://time.com/7001696/kamala-harris-democratic-delegate-support-presumptive-nominee-dnc/). Oddsmakers, insiders, and cable news pundits were suddenly confronted with a tantalizing new political calculus. No longer a contest between two aging nominees—a current and a former POTUS—now Democrats changed their lineup, leaving open only the question of who would be Harris’ vice presidential candidate. Swiftly, Democrats around the country—delegates, superdelegates, donors, and Congressional leaders—unified in support of Vice President Harris. Overnight, it seemed, nearly $100 million dollars rushed into her campaign coffers. Now, Democrats gather around the cooler for one thing—her decision on a [Vice President](https://time.com/7001222/kamala-harris-vp-pick-list/). **_Read More:_** [_Who Could Be Kamala Harris’ Running Mate? Here’s the Shortlist_](https://time.com/7001222/kamala-harris-vp-pick-list/) Having a strong bench from which to choose, early speculation centered on the Party’s outstanding governors—Michigan’s Gretchen Whitmer, Pennsylvania’s Josh Shapiro, Kentucky’s Andy Beshear, North Carolina’s Roy Cooper, Colorado’s Jared Polis—all from states crucial in Electoral College competition. California governor, Gavin Newsom, has dealt himself out of the deck, in recognition of the Constitutional prohibition against both members of the ticket being from the same state. Some have thought Harris might look to a current Biden cabinet officer—most prominently mentioned are Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo and Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg. But informed speculation on Capitol Hill and at Washington think tanks , spiked by a new burst of energy and excitement in the Democratic Party, has focused on Arizona’s junior Senator, Mark Kelly, whose credentials and compelling life story have made him a most appealing possibility. To some extent, Harris has been considering Kelly. Shortly after Biden endorsed Harris, she telephoned a number of vice presidential possibilities. Kelly was one of them. Shortly thereafter, he was being officially vetted. The case for Kelly is shiny, authentic, and persuasive. Kelly comes with extensive military experience, helping Harris, who has none. Kelly is a decorated Navy pilot with combat experience. He is a [seasoned astronaut](https://time.com/5528036/mark-kelly-astronauts-politicians/) who commanded the Space Shuttle Endeavor. He campaigned as a political moderate favoring stricter gun control and won a Senate seat from Arizona. After four years on Capitol Hill, a tough place for making friends, Kelly is highly regarded by colleagues on both sides of the aisle. Since 2011, when his wife, former Congress woman [Gabby Giffords](https://time.com/6198452/gabby-giffords-wont-back-down-tells-a-remarkable-story-of-recovery/), was almost killed in an assassination attempt, Kelly has never left her side, organizing her recovery effort, and gaining a reputation for loyalty and kindness, sharing the unbearable and gruesome experience with her. Both—Gifford and Kelly—are seen as American heroes. That he almost certainly puts Arizona’s 11 electoral votes in the Democratic column is a clincher for Harris-Kelly and a coup de grâce for Trump-Vance. In a recent conversation with Kelly’s identical twin brother, Scott, another retired Navy captain and astronaut, the Senator was described as a person skilled in crisis management and scientific exploration, tough on border security and gun control (though he himself owns guns and supports the Second Amendment). During his Senate career, Kelly has been instrumental in several important public policy initiatives, including landmark legislation to reduce prescription drug prices and lower out-of-pocket costs for seniors; the $52 billion bipartisan package to increase domestic microchip manufacturing, and select proposals to ban stock trading by members of Congress, and eliminate corporate PACs. Given the clear determination of Democrats to arrive at and depart from their Chicago convention next month in an animated, energetic, unified posture, Kelly’s story and stature, if attached to the Harris ticket, would strengthen the Democratic quest for an election victory on November 5, ushering in a new generation of political leadership. 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