The Copper Courier: Arizona leaders eager for a Harris-Kelly ticket
July 25, 2024
Presidential candidate Kamala Harris is vetting US Sen. Mark Kelly to be her running mate, and groups that worked to elect him to the US Senate say they’re ready to help get him to the White House.
A Harris-Kelly ticket has received an avalanche of support from grassroots groups, elected officials, and the Arizona Democratic Party (ADP). Yolanda Bejarano, chair of the ADP, initially said Wednesday that the party would not intervene in the process, but that changed after a meeting with the rest of the board later that day. The executive board voted later that day to endorse Kelly for US Vice President.
“Sen. Kelly is exactly the type of leader Arizonans want, and America needs,” said Bejarano. “The path to the White House runs through Arizona, and we are confident that with Kamala Harris and Mark Kelly at the top of the ticket, Democrats will win in November.”
Groundswell of support for Kelly
Three major voter outreach groups that previously endorsed both of Kelly’s senate runs announced their support for a Harris-Kelly ticket as well Wednesday. Activate 48, Our Voice Our Vote, and Living United for Change in Arizona (LUCHA) released a joint statement “making the case for why U.S. Senator Mark Kelly would be an exceptional Vice President.”
“He is a staunch proponent of protecting women’s reproductive rights. He understands what it means to live in a border state and stands with us on creating a path to citizenship for new immigrants,” the letter reads. “He has proposed bills in the Senate to provide affordable housing to Indigenous Americans in 20 tribes. He fights for clean air and clean energy for all Americans.”
The three organizations are seen as a powerhouse in grassroots voter outreach, and claim to have canvased over 1 million voters during the 2022 election. While these efforts would be utilized to support Harris regardless of her running mate, Kelly on the ballot could do more to encourage those who have supported him in the past to vote, volunteer, and donate.
Would Kelly accept?
The outpouring of support for Kelly comes largely without his input. Kelly was in Europe when President Joe Biden announced he wouldn’t run for reelection and endorsed Harris, and by the time he returned home, his name was a staple of any conversation regarding Harris’ running mate.
When asked by NBC News reporters upon his return home, Kelly wouldn’t answer if he would accept an invitation to join the presidential ticket, insisting that Harris could win Arizona on her own merits.
“Kamala Harris is going to be the nominee. That is clear. She’s the right person for this job,” Kelly said. “It’s not about me. This is about making sure Donald Trump isn’t in the White House again.”
That hasn’t stopped local Democrats from pushing for a potential Vice President Kelly, even if it means opening his senate seat up to a special election.
Who would fill Kelly’s Senate seat?
Should Kelly accept an invitation to join Harris’ campaign and the duo win in November, a special election would be held to fill his Senate seat—but not until the next federal elections are held in 2026. In the meantime, Arizona law requires the governor, Katie Hobbs, to appoint someone from the same political party to fill the seat.
The Copper Courier spoke with Democratic political operatives who work closely with the governor’s office who said conversations have already begun regarding who should be appointed to Kelly’s seat. Three names have been “swirling around,” sources say: Tucson Mayor Regina Romero, congressional candidate and former state legislator Raquel Terán, and US Rep. Greg Stanton.
But how far up the executive tower these names have reached is unclear. Liliana Soto, a spokesperson for Hobbs, denied that the governor has spent any time on the matter.
“The topic is not under consideration at the moment,” said Soto. “Gov. Hobbs is focused on governing, not far-off hypotheticals.”
Romero, Terán, and Stanton all declined to comment on a potential appointment to fill Kelly’s seat.
The conversations would be more than preliminary, as Kelly would only need to resign from his current role if he was selected as Harris’ vice president and the two were to win in the November Election. Even then, Kelly wouldn’t need to resign until shortly before Inauguration Day on January 20, 2025.
Harris was in a similar position four years ago. President Joe Biden announced then-Sen. Harris to be his running mate on August 11, 2020, but she remained in office until January 18, 2021.
While a hypothetical appointment is far off, Harris’ decision is not: the presumed Democratic presidential nominee only has two weeks to announce her running mate in order to meet an August 7 deadline to ensure they appear on ballots in every state.
