Arizona senate candidate predicts Mark Kelly would energize Kamala Harris as VP.
Ruben Gallego believes Mark Kelly would energize the Democratic ticket as vice president.
Arizona Democratic Rep. Ruben Gallego commended Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., as a "superb" potential candidate to join Vice President Kamala Harris on the Democratic Party's presidential ticket.
In an interview on CNN, Gallego stated that Kelly would give Harris a "boost" before the November election, when Democrats will compete against former President Trump.
Gallego stated to CNN's Manu Raju that including Kelly in the campaign would provide an additional boost.
As a border state senator, Kelly understands border issues; as an astronaut married to Gabby Giffords, he brings a unique perspective to the table.
Kari Lake is running against Democratic candidate Gallego for the open Senate seat vacated by retiring Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, I-Ariz. Gallego currently leads Lake by 3.4 percentage points in the RealClearPolitics average of recent polls.
After withdrawing from the presidential race, President Biden endorsed Harris as his successor.
Biden's campaign has been taken over by Harris, who announced earlier this week that she had secured enough delegates to claim the DNC nomination. Her team is currently vetting several possible running mates, including Kelly, North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, and Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear.
Kelly has been praised by his Democratic colleagues in the Senate, with Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., calling him a "superb" choice for Harris.
According to NBC News, Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., described Kelly as having "enormous depth and wisdom," "real common sense," and the ability to quickly grasp "very complex" issues.
Kelly, a former Navy pilot and astronaut from Arizona, could assist Harris in securing western states and lend credibility on the border, which he has described as being in a "crisis." His compelling life story and career, along with his parents being retired police officers, could help Democrats counter GOP attacks for being too lenient on crime.
Kelly, who is married to former Rep. Gabby Giffords, D-Ariz., who was shot during a campaign event with constituents in 2011, has been caring for her throughout her recovery and continues to do so. Both are leading advocates of gun control reforms.
A recent national poll shows that Harris and Trump are in a very tight race, despite Biden suspending his campaign and endorsing his vice president.
The NPR/PBS News/Marist Poll shows that Trump, who was formally nominated as the Republican Party's 2024 presidential candidate last week, has 46% support among registered voters.
Harris, who claimed to have secured the Democratic nomination on Monday night due to verbal commitments from delegates at the upcoming Democratic National Convention, currently stands at 45% support. Trump's one-point lead is within the survey's margin of error. Out of those surveyed, 9% remain undecided.
This update was contributed to by Timothy H.J. Nerozzi and Paul Steinhauser of Planet Chronicle Digital.
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