Who is Mark Kelly? A possible VP pick for Kamala Harris | background, family, net worth

Mark Kelly, a former astronaut and current Senator from Arizona, is under consideration to be Kamala Harris’ running mate. The decision will be announced in the coming weeks, with several candidates being evaluated by the Harris campaign.

Arizona is a state that the Democrats support a victory in November, and putting Kelly on the ticket is one way to improve their chances of winning. However, the campaign may look to a state that President Biden lost in 2020 for their running mate, with the hope of flipping it and reducing pressure on the Midwest, where the president won by very small margins four years ago. Governor Roy Cooper of North Carolina and Kentucky Governor Andy Basheer would fall into this category.

Mark Kelly’s path to Washington

The Arizona Senator has taken a fairly non-traditional path to Washington. Before entering politics, he served in the US Navy and as an astronaut for NASA. In total, he has spent over 50 days in space.

Kelly is a twin who grew up in New Jersey. After graduating high school, he obtained a Bachelor of Science in marine engineering and natural sciences from the United States Merchant Marine Academy. Later, in 1994, he attended the Naval Postgraduate School and earned a Master of Science in aeronautical engineering. He served in the US Marines and later at NASA for decades before eventually getting into politics.

In 2007, he married Arizona Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, which happened to be the same year she was elected to Congress representing Arizona’s 8th District. A few years later, in 2011, his wife was shot in front of a grocery store in Casas Adobes at an event called “Congress on your corner,” which allowed her to engage directly with her constituents. Giffords survived the attack, but being shot in the head left her with a serious brain injury that limited her mobility and speech. After years of recovery, with the support of her family, friends, and community, she has been able to live a normal life away from the spotlight in Washington.

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After retiring from NASA in 2011 to support his wife as she recovered, Kelly became more interested in national politics. After co-writing a series of books with Gabby about her recovery and his life as an astronaut, he publically announced his campaign to run for Senate in 2019 to unseat Martha McSally, who had been tapped to replace Senator John McCain after his death in 2018. His first term lasted two years, not the traditional six because he was elected to serve out the remainder of McCain’s term. In 2022, he was re-elected, beating the Trump-backed Blake Masters.

What is Mark Kelly’s net worth?

Earlier this year, the online news outlet Finbold examined the 2022 financial disclosure made by Kelly and estimated that his net worth was anywhere between $8 and $32 million. This calculation was based on the expected value of his assets, and since he has no liabilities, his net worth can be assumed to approximate all of the assets he owns. His net worth has been generated through his salary, investments, book royalties, and speaking fees. He also is the co-founder of a space exploration company called World View Enterprises.

Kelly’s prospects as a VP

Compared to some of the other candidates interested in joining Harris on the Democratic ticket, Kelly has had to make some adjustments to his political positions. For instance, Kelly had not said he would vote for the PRO Act, which would make changes to labor law that would make joining a union much easier for workers in the United States. Additionally, the law would limit the ability of corporations to retaliate against workers who organize and give workers more power when negotiating union contracts. Kelly announced a change to his position after labor unions called on her to go with a different running mate. In a speech announcing his support of the PRO Act, he said that he “would have voted on it on Day 1″ and that if it came to the floor as is today, he would vote in favor.

Additionally, Kelly has been on the offensive, attacking Donald Trump and his running mate, JD Vance, for the comments towards women and the political ideology they would bring to the White House. Ohio Senator JD Vance, a colleague of Kelly’s, called out Kamala Harris for not having children, arguing that it did not give her the same stake in the future of the country. Giffords shot back at Kelly, calling the comments “disgraceful,” and explained that before she was shot, the couple had been attempting to get pregnant, and after the attack, that dream was “stolen.”

Kelly reposted the comment, adding that “if anyone proves just how wrong JD Vance is, it’s Gabby.” A public servant who sacrificed so much, whose life was nearly taken, should not be the subject of ridicule by Republicans who want to make a misogynistic swipe at Harris and at millions of other women in the process.