When Arizona Senator Mark Kelly’s daughter, Claire Kelly, posted photos of illegal drugs on her Instagram story, the now-vice presidential hopeful seemed to know they would come back to haunt him. In 2020, Claire, then 23, shared a video on Instagram showing what appeared to be marijuana and ecstasy, also known as molly. Possession of ecstasy is a felony in Arizona. In another post, Claire screenshotted text messages from her dad, warning her to take down her post.

“Been busy today. Got 1 call and 2 emails about your Instagram account. I’m not interested in looking but I suspect what you posted would not be in anyone’s best interest. At least not yours or mine,” Kelly, a Democrat who had joined the Senate that year, texted his daughter according to the post.

“No, my Instagram is fine,” Claire texted back. “Check for yourself.”

“I’ll pass,” said Kelly, who is on Kamala Harris’ short list for the vice-presidential nomination. Claire added a caption to the post, quoting Beyoncé, “You know you that b**** when you cause all this conversation. Always stay gracious, best revenge is your paper,” and added, “1 call and 2 emails? Come on guys.”

Despite the incident, the father-daughter duo has moved on, as they have been seen in photos together on his Facebook account. At the time of the incident, Claire had just graduated from Arizona State University and was working at a communications firm.

Claire has since deleted her Instagram and Twitter accounts associated with @clairekelly100. Historical internet data shows she had previously tagged @ShuttleCDRKelly, which at one time belonged to her father, the now-senator.

Two sources familiar with the planning said on Tuesday that the announcement of the vice presidential candidate is expected soon, as Vice President Kamala Harris will tour battleground states next week with her chosen running mate. The short list of candidates under consideration includes Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear, Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro, U.S. Senator Mark Kelly of Arizona, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, and Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg.

As the selection process intensifies, all eyes are on Kelly and his potential elevation to the vice-presidency. His daughter’s past social media activity serves as a reminder of the personal scrutiny public figures face, and how family actions can impact their political careers. However, the incident seems to have had little lasting effect on Kelly’s rising political trajectory, highlighting the resilience and personal growth of both father and daughter.