Mark Kelly's Senate seat would be filled by a Democratic governor for 2 years left in term, right?

[Eliot Rosewater]

Might lose the seat 2 yrs later but seems no downside here...

What do we think?

[brooklynite]

1. No: if vacancy occurred more than 40 days before next election...

He’s up in November

[Eliot Rosewater]

3. This is what I found, I am confused...

Who would replace Kelly?
After Kelly’s resignation, it’d fall to Gov. Katie Hobbs, a fellow Democrat, to replace his successor.

Hobbs’ appointee, by law, would also have to be a Democrat – the same political party as Kelly when he was elected to a full six-year term in 2022.

But that appointee could be temporary.

When there’s a U.S. Senate vacancy, state law also requires a special election be held during the next general election – that’d be in 2026 – to determine who gets to serve the remaining years of Kelly’s term, which expires in 2028.

Kelly was first elected to the Senate in a similar situation. In 2020, he won a special election to serve the remaining two years of the late U.S. Sen. John McCain’s term in office.

https://www.kjzz.org/kjzz-news/2024-07-24/q-az-if-mark-kelly-becomes-vp-pick-what-will-happen-to-his-arizona-senate-seat

Doesn't this say her appointment would be good till 2026? How am I misreading this?

My op question has a mistake, it would not be her pick for remainder of term but for 2 more years, right?

[SocialDemocrat61]

7. November of 25, not 24

Since he wouldn’t resign until January 25.

[LeftInTX]

9. Nov 2025? or Nov 2026?

He does not need to resign his senate seat to be on the ticket.

He's currently not running for reelection.

The law just says "Next general election"...

It would all depend on whether Nov 2025 is a "general election" under AZ law. In some states it would be. In other states it isn't....
I don't see anything on their SOS site. Texas always has constitutional amendment elections in Nov of odd years. However, I don't see anything in their historical election results.

The only thing was a special election in Nov 2011 for a state legislature seat.

https://azsos.gov/elections/results-data/election-information/historical-election-results-information

[obamanut2012]

2. No

[nbsmom]

4. I think Mr. Gabby Giffords is making a strong case for himself.

He's won his seat twice in a swing state on the border. He's a former astronaut. AZ voters appear enthusiastic about how he'd be a great addition to the ticket.

And I think if we keep the White House and the Senate (and get the House back), it shouldn't be too hard to re-elect the person who Katie Hobbs chooses to replace Kelly in 2026.

[Attilatheblond]

5. AZ Governor Hobbs is constantly fending off GOP attacks on the legality of her position and everything she does

Last thing we need is for her to deal with the legal hassles those jerks would throw in the way of her appointing a replacement senator. The AZ GOP is chock full of total die hard nut balls who do, and will continue to constantly make legal challenges of EVERYTHING our DEM elected state officials do.

[Eliot Rosewater]

8. Thank you for another example of why we are a broken society

Where the laws simply don't apply anymore to one side.

[Emile]

6. Leave Kelly in the Senate. We can't afford to lose that seat.

[SocialDemocrat61]

10. But we have a spare 😉

[Emile]

12. Didn't know his twin brother was interested in running

for his Senate seat.

[SocialDemocrat61]

13. It was a joke

[Emile]

14. LOL

My bad

[pinkstarburst]

11. That's a huge downside

Kelly barely won that seat with all his star power. I believe he won by 1% of the vote. We would have a rough time holding onto the seat. Losing a senate seat is no small thing. If Kelly were the absolute only good choice for VP, it would be one thing, but that isn't the case at all. There are literally 10 names being thrown all over DU as possible candidates, all of them good. We have a very deep bench this time around. There is no reason to put a highly vulnerable senate seat in jeopardy.

[LongtimeAZDem]

15. This is not accurate

He beat Martha McSally by 2 1/2% to take the seat, and won reelection against Blake Masters by just shy of 5%.