Mark Kelly auditions for Kamala Harris

In what might go down as the craziest two weeks in American political history, voters have been treated to a lot of things they’ve never seen before. But one sight that’s pretty normal is ambitious senators actively campaigning to be the number two man on the ticket.

Mark Kelly has shot into first place on the polymarket.com prediction market, where bettors wager real money about likely outcomes.

Arizona’s Democratic senator put out a video today apropos of nothing, describing his final flight, returning from the Space Station on Space Shuttle Endeavour’s final flight.

As his longtime buddy and open supporter, Jake Tapper, mentioned on CNN—as a surprise coronation has bypassed that unpleasant little reality Americans used to call a primary election to coronate Harris as the nominee— said at the top of his program, referring to Kelly and showing some of the video, he “just happened to pick today to remind America that he’s a bad ass navy pilot and an astronaut.”

Bettors apparently think that Kelly will match up well in the number two slot bringing a white dude to balance Harris’s many “first ever” boxes. It also doesn’t hurt that he soundly defeated Blake Masters in 2022 in a year when the other statewide candidates came much closer.

If Kelly is the nominee, it could have ripple effect on Arizona elections, as well. Republicans were hoping that Trump would retake the state at the top of the ticket and provide help for the senatorial and close congressional races, such as CD1. Those candidates and their supporters are doubtless hoping Harris chooses a non-Arizona candidate.