Could Mark Kelly Be the Surprise Democratic Contender to Replace Biden?

Mark Kelly has been floated as a potential replacement for President Joe Biden as the Democratic nominee.

PHOENIX — Approximately a week prior to President Joe Biden’s announcement that he would not seek reelection, speculation arose around Arizona Senator Mark Kelly as a potential Democratic nominee.

Bluelabs Analytics surveyed over 15,000 voters in seven battleground states to gauge support for various Democratic candidates against Donald Trump. The results indicated that Kelly was a strong contender, polling 5 points higher than Biden in those key states.

The research highlighted that, despite some candidates having home states within battleground territories, all top performers showed strong results across multiple states.

Other notable candidates included Maryland Governor Wes Moore, Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro, and Michigan Governor Gretchen Wilson.

Interestingly, Senator Kelly has endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris as the Democratic nominee. “I couldn’t be more confident that Vice President Kamala Harris is the right person to defeat Donald Trump and lead our country into the future,” Kelly tweeted.

Despite his endorsement, comments on his social media post suggest there is some support for Kelly as a potential running mate.

Biden had been the presumptive nominee for several months after winning nearly all primary elections unchallenged. However, the official nomination occurs in August.

Although Biden endorsed Harris as his replacement, the final decision rests with delegates at the Democratic National Convention according to party rules, which allows flexibility in candidate selection.