Senator Mark Kelly (D-Arizona), one of the leading candidates for Vice President Harris’s vice presidential nomination, is uncomfortable in the role of attack dog and has stayed away from politics for most of his time in the Senate.

Kelly’s clean reputation and focus on policy raise questions about whether he can play the traditional role of a running mate’s attack dog.

“The vice presidential candidate would ideally be someone who would be comfortable acting as an attack dog on the other side, but doing so in a way that doesn’t scare off potential voters,” said John LaBombard, a Democratic strategist.

“My guess is that Senator Kelly still has some room to grow in that part of his role, at least compared to Governor Walz,” he added, referring to Minnesota Governor Tim Walz (D), who is also said to be on the shortlist for vice president.

The young senator from Arizona has tried to step into the role of partisan bully even more in recent days, hitting out at Senator JD Vance (R-Ohio), former President Trump’s running mate, for claiming the country is run by “childless cat ladies.”

Kelly drew a crowd outside the Capitol recently in the afternoon, where he uncharacteristically made some partisan jabs at Vance, whose past comments on a range of issues have stoked anger among Democratic voters.

“I think it’s ridiculous to say something like that about somebody,” he said of Vance’s characterization of Harris as a “childless cat lady.” “It’s disgusting and rude, and it’s not surprising.”

“What really worries me is what he would do, given that he is just a stone’s throw from the presidency,” Kelly added, before moving on to the Democrats’ most important issue: abortion.

“Here’s a guy who, when he talks about women who have been raped or become pregnant through incest, says ‘two wrongs don’t make a right.’ What’s wrong with a woman who has been raped wanting to terminate a pregnancy?” he said. “I’m really worried about their rights if Donald Trump is re-elected.”

Kelly has not commented on what conversations he will have with Harris or her political team, stressing that he is not promoting her candidacy.

“This whole thing is not about me – it’s about making sure Kamala defeats Donald Trump in November. That’s my goal. I’m going to work as hard as I can no matter what,” he told The Hill.

Kelly, a former naval aviator and astronaut, has stayed out of political food fights since winning his Senate election in 2020.

During his first years in Washington, he often dodged policy questions, saying he was not thinking about the policies of his own re-election campaign in 2022 and was focused primarily on passing bipartisan legislation such as the CHIPS and Science Act, which boosted investment in his home state.

Steve Jarding, a Democratic strategist and former adviser to the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, acknowledged that Kelly may not be best suited to the vice president’s traditional attack dog role, but still praised him as a strong candidate.

“I like him a lot. I think he’s the best choice she could have. One of the reasons I like him is that he’s not a fighting dog,” he said, praising Kelly’s image as a former astronaut, saying he is rational, cool under pressure and focused on his mission.

“I understand that traditionally it is the role of the vice president to do the dirty work,” he said.

However, he warned that this could backfire on “centre” voters, who might then dismiss him as a “pit bull.”

“The fact that he doesn’t have a fighting dog this time is a good thing for him,” he said, pointing to voter fatigue in the face of polarization and excessive partisanship.

Since April, Kelly has appeared more frequently on cable television as the presidential election heats up.

He is scheduled to appear on NBC’s “Morning Joe” on Wednesday, and he defended President Biden against growing pressure from other Democratic senators who wanted him to give up his re-election bid after a disastrous debate performance.

In mid-July, he urged Democrats to rally behind Biden and Harris, warning, “We have to make sure we work as hard as we can and don’t make any mistakes,” and insisting that Biden still has a path to victory.

During an appearance on NBC’s “Meet the Press” in May, he answered difficult questions about the anti-war protests on American college and university campuses and spoke about the “mistakes” made by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in his all-out assault on Gaza.

Democratic strategist LaBombard said that although Kelly is not a born attack dog, he could bring other strengths to the campaign.

“He is a slick, elected politician from a swing state with an inspiring background that ranges from his military service to his time as an astronaut, and he has supported many of the bipartisan policies that Vice President Harris is sure to tout on the campaign trail,” he said.

LaBombard said Kelly’s support for Biden’s agenda in the Senate would be a strong selling point with Harris’s staff, but acknowledged they may be looking for a governor from outside the Beltway such as Walz or Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro to balance the roster.

He said Walz or Shapiro might give Democrats a better chance of winning the crucial swing states of Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.

“These two guys … the two governors are not from Washington. That’s a big plus because people in both parties, especially independents in the swing states, are not cheering for Washington. He hasn’t been here long, but Senator Kelly would certainly be a choice inside the Beltway,” he said.

Another concern for Democrats is what would happen to Kelly’s Senate seat if Harris nominates him as her vice presidential candidate.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (DN.Y.) recruited Kelly in 2019 as the ideal candidate for the seat long held by former Sen. John McCain (R-Arizona). Kelly defeated former Sen. Martha McSally (R), who was appointed to McCain’s seat, in a 2020 special election.

While Arizona has trended more Democratic in recent years, Kelly’s seat would become more vulnerable to a Republican victory if he left the Senate to serve in a Harris administration.

Schumer, the architect of the Democratic Senate majority, declined to comment on Tuesday on whether Kelly would be a good candidate alongside Harris on the ballot.

He also declined to say whether he was concerned that Kelly’s seat would remain in Democratic hands if he moved to the executive branch.

“I am absolutely confident that Vice President Harris will select a great vice presidential candidate,” he said, keeping a low profile. “I have complete confidence in the selection of Vice President Harris.”

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