Mark Kelly
Arizona
2020 margin: 2%
Biden\Trump margin: +.3%
to the FM Senate Slate
to Mark's Campaign
EXPERIENCE
Sen. Kelly, son of two police officers, spent 25 years in the Navy and at NASA. He attended public schools from elementary school through the Merchant Marine Academy and the U.S. Naval Postgraduate School. As a naval aviator Kelly made two deployments to the First Gulf War and flew 39 combat missions in Operation Desert Storm. He was selected as an astronaut in 1966 and flew his first of four space missions in 2001. Sen. Kelly was the winner of the 2020 special election and must run again in 2022.
KELLY ON THE ISSUES
• "{End] the tax breaks for the super-wealthy and big corporations that are exploding the national debt while not benefiting working and middle class Arizonians.” (markkelly.com)
• Endorsed by Demand Universal Healthcare.
• "Over their lifetimes, workers and small businesses have contributed into Social Security and Medicare so Arizonans could have a secure retirement that includes health care. I won't let those earned benefits be gambled on the stock market or turned into a voucher system." (twitter.com)
• “[Invest] now in things that will pay off for our country down the road, like infrastructure and research and development.” (markkelly.com)
• "Between my first and fourth trips to space, I witnessed significant deforestation and other changes in our planet in just 10 years. As an engineer and an astronaut, I value science and data, and that's the approach I will bring to tackling climate change." (twitter.com)
• "He will keep kids and communities safer by working to pass universal background checks, to keep guns out of the hands of stalkers and domestic abusers and reduce mass shootings and suicides by allowing families and law enforcement to ensure dangerous individuals and people in crisis do not have access to firearms." (markkelly.com)
• Endorsed by Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence.
• "Mark is a gun owner and a combat veteran, the husband of Gabby Giffords who was nearly killed in a shooting, and an advocate for commonsense, effective gun laws." (markkelly.com)
• "Mark and Gabby co-founded Giffords, one of the nation’s leading gun safety organizations that brings together families, gun owners, veterans, law enforcement, and others to advocate for stronger gun safety laws that save lives." (markkelly.com)
• "Like Dreamers and their families, I'm relieved to hear today's SCOTUS ruling on #DACA. Now, Congress needs to pass a permanent pathway to citizenship for Dreamers to be recognized as the Americans they are. DACA recipients should never have to face this uncertainty again." (twitter.com)
• "Mark supports protecting DREAMERS including the more than 25,500 individuals who call Arizona home who were brought here as children, have been educated here, and played by the rules." (markkelly.com)
• "Mark also knows that we can fix our broken immigration system, but in a way that is true to our values, provides for the workforce we need, and doesn’t separate children from their parents." (markkelly.com)
POLITICS IN ARIZONA
In 2020, Mark Kelly defeated then-Sen. Martha McSally (R-AZ) to finish out the late John McCain’s term. Kelly was one of 2020’s top fundraisers, raking in just short of $100 million for the cycle. This made his final 51 to 49 margin over McSally seem a bit underwhelming, since he had been posting more comfortable, though single-digit, leads in polling.
In the 2020 presidential race, Arizona was the closest state in the country, by raw vote margin—Biden claimed it by 10,457 votes (+.3%) his narrowest victory margin. Given that most Democrats in competitive Senate races ran behind, or only slightly ahead of, Biden, it’s possible that McSally could have prevailed against a Democrat who lacked Kelly’s star power. This seat remains a prime target for Republicans going into 2022.
At this time last year, the term-limited Governor Doug Ducey (R) was seen as a leading potential Senate candidate. In 2018, as Democrats made gains across the board in Arizona, he was reelected by a comfortable 56 to 42 margin. Ducey recently ruled out a 2022 Senate run. The state Republican Party seems intent on moving in a more Trumpian direction. Arizona Republicans censured Ducey for some COVID-containing measures that he put into place.
COMMITTEES
+CAUCUSES
• Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry
• Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs
• Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation
• Committee on Armed Services
• Committee on Energy and Natural Resources
• Joint Economic Committee
• Special Committee on Aging
• Subcommittee on Airland
• Subcommittee on Chemical Safety, Waste Management, Environmental Justice, and Regulatory Oversight
• Subcommittee on Emerging Threats and Capabilities (Chair)
• Subcommittee on Fisheries, Water, and Wildlife
• Subcommittee on National Parks
• Subcommittee on Public Lands, Forests, and Mining
• Subcommittee on Strategic Forces
• Subcommittee on Transportation and Infrastructure
• Subcommittee on Water and Power