Gabby Giffords, Wife of Presumptive Vice Presidential Candidate, Campaigns for Kamala Harris in Philadelphia

Former U.S. congresswoman Gabby Giffords visited Philadelphia to campaign on behalf of Vice President Kamala Harris on Thursday, as the vice president is reportedly vetting Giffords’ husband, Senator Mark Kelly, as a potential vice presidential candidate.

Kelly, an Arizona Democrat, is considered a leading candidate for the seat, along with Gov. Josh Shapiro, who will hit the road next week to campaign for Harris in Pennsylvania.

Giffords, who survived an assassination attempt in 2011, spoke about gun policy with Pennsylvania House Speaker Joanna McClinton (D-Philadelphia), who was a vocal supporter of Shapiro as vice presidential candidate.

The former Arizona lawmaker left public office after surviving a gunshot wound to the head. She now leads the Giffords Organization, a national organization that advocates for solutions to gun violence, while her recovery continues.

“A better world is possible, but change doesn’t happen overnight, and we can’t do it alone,” Giffords said in a compact speech about how gun violence has changed her life.

Giffords hesitated when asked if she had thought about becoming second lady. But she spoke highly of her husband, a former astronaut who was first elected to the Senate in a special election in 2020. “He’s my best friend, he’s so funny, funny, funny. I love him so much,” Giffords said of Kelly.

Kelly and Shapiro are two of the few names widely considered to be on the shortlist potential vice presidential candidates, who also include North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper, Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker and Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg.

Philadelphia Democrats have been eagerly promoting Shapiro’s name as the ideal candidate to facilitate Harris secure Pennsylvania in November. McClinton told The Inquirer earlier this week that Harris should choose Shapiro.

Pennsylvania and Arizona played key roles in President Joe Biden’s victory in 2020 and are among the key battlegrounds in Harris’ November showdown with former President Donald Trump.

Speaking to reporters Thursday, McClinton said Harris will need to pick a vice presidential candidate who can build coalitions across the country. She said Shapiro “has always been a champion of the people.”

Although McClinton preferred Shapiro, she had high praise for Kelly.

“But I also recognize, as I told the congresswoman when she came in, that Senator Kelly is still a champion,” McClinton said. “A former veteran and astronaut. Someone who won a seat in the United States Senate in Arizona with the support of the late Senator John McCain is someone we all have great respect for.”