Mark Kelly deletes tweet that fueled speculation about VP race

Sen. Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.) on Sunday deleted a post on X in which he said his mission is now "serving Arizonans" and stoked further speculation about Vice President Harris’s running mate search.

Kelly, who is on the shortlist to be Harris's VP pick, issued a statement Sunday on X in which he suggested he was ultimately not selected for Harris's ticket.

"My background is a bit different than most politicians. I spent my life serving in the Navy and at NASA, where the mission always comes first. Now, my mission is serving Arizonans," Kelly wrote originally.

Less than an hour later, Kelly removed the post and replaced it with a post that reads: "Whether it was from my time in the Navy and at NASA, serving in the United States Senate, or visiting our troops overseas: I've learned that when your country asks you to serve, you always answer the call."

The second post had hundreds of replies, many of which attempted to press the Arizona Democrat on his status in Harris's "veepstakes."

"Holy s***!! It's you! Are you telling us you've been selected for VP, Mark kelly?" one user wrote, while another went as far to say, "It appears Mark Kelly is the VP Pick."

Kelly spokesperson Jacob Peters dismissed the speculation and suggested users not read too much into the senator's statements.

"An Arizona senator tweeting about being an Arizona senator is not news! Go back to your Sundays everybody!" Peters wrote on X Sunday.

Kelly is among a handful of rising stars in the Democratic Party who have been floated as Harris's running mate since President Biden stepped out of the race and endorsed her to run as his successor.

Harris, who officially became the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee last week, has rushed to pick a running mate on a condensed timeline. She spent the weekend interviewing a handful of potential VP picks at her residence at the Naval Observatory in Washington.

Other names on the shortlist include Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, who were both interviewed, along with Kelly, on Sunday, Reuters reported.

Harris is expected to announce her running mate by Tuesday, before embarking on a four-day, seven-state campaign swing alongside her pick.

The Hill reached out to Harris's campaign for further comment.