Mark Kelly's VP pitfalls: China tech ties resurface
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Sen. Mark Kelly is on Vice President Kamala Harris' running mate short list. Photo: Jon Cherry/Getty Images
U.S. Sen. Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.) appears to check nearly every box as an unproblematic moderate running mate for Vice President Kamala Harris. But if he's added to the presidential ticket, Republicans will surely try to take advantage of his political newness and scrutinize his past business dealings.
Why it matters: Kelly's mild-mannered demeanor, coupled with his past connections to foreign companies and dignitaries, could prove a liability on a national ticket.
The big picture: Kelly has caught national media attention in recent weeks for his compelling personal story: He's a combat veteran and former astronaut thrust into political life after his wife, former U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, was shot and suffered a brain injury.
- His bipartisan bend has proved successful in Arizona — in both of his elections, he received more votes than any other Democrat on the state ballot, including President Biden.
Yes, but: His resume will draw scrutiny.
What they're saying: Kelly, whose team did not respond to a request for comment, dodged questions about his VP chances on MSNBC Wednesday saying, "I am going to be focused on making sure that Kamala is the next president."
Zoom in: In 2012, Kelly co-founded a space exploration company called World View, which received venture capital from Tencent, one of the largest tech companies in China.
- Kelly stopped working with World View in 2019 and placed his stock in a blind trust in 2021. World View has said Tencent has never had input or access to company information and Tencent told Axios last year it had stopped investing in World View.
- That didn't stop Kelly's 2020 and 2022 opponents from flooding Arizona airwaves with ads about his China connection, attacks conservative outlets are now re-upping.
Speaker circuit: Kelly made at least $1.7 million speaking about space exploration at corporate engagements from 2018-2020, per his financial disclosures. Other candidates, like Hillary Clinton in 2016, have been accused of being beholden to corporate interests because of these types of high-dollar speaking payments.
- In 2019, during his first Senate campaign, he returned a $55,000 payment for a lecture he gave in the United Arab Emirates sponsored by the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi.
Experience: Kelly has only 3½ years of elected experience.
- His political outsider vibe has worked in Arizona, but it's not clear if it would appeal to a national audience who may see it as a lack of polish, especially on the debate stage.
Sway: Kelly endorsed one candidate in Arizona's primary this week, Raquel Terán in the 3rd Congressional District.
- Her race is tight, but Teran's opponent Yassamin Ansari was leading 46%-43% as of Wednesday afternoon, calling into question how much pull Kelly would have over undecided Arizona voters.
What we're watching: Harris is expected to announce her pick next week, and some donors are speculating it will be a governor, not a senator.