Mark Kelly – AZ

Mark Kelly

Summary

Current Position: US Senator since 2021
Affiliation: Democrat
Candidate: 2022 US Senator
Former Position: Astronaut from 1996 – 2011

Quotes:
Modern, robust infrastructure allows communities to thrive and economic opportunity to grow. I’m working with local leaders across Arizona to understand the priorities for each community as we work on a bipartisan infrastructure agreement in the Senate. @CaptMarkKelly

Sen. Mark Kelly Talks About Georgia Runoffs, COVID-19 Crisis | TODAY

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About

Mark Kelly 1Mark Kelly has served his country as a U.S. Navy combat pilot, a NASA astronaut, and now as a U.S. Senator for Arizona.
He is an independent leader who came to the Senate to serve Arizona’s working families, not corporate special interests.

As the son of two police officers, Senator Kelly learned the value of public service at an early age. He attended public schools from elementary school all the way through graduate school. Senator Kelly earned his B.S. degree in marine engineering and nautical science from the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy and later an M.S. degree in aeronautical engineering from the U.S. Naval Postgraduate School.

Watching my mom break barriers to become one of the first women police officers in our town taught me a lot about facing challenges head on to achieve your goals. I continue to be inspired by her.

As a Navy pilot, he made multiple deployments on the aircraft carrier USS Midway and flew 39 combat missions in Operation Desert Storm. Senator Kelly is the recipient of the Defense Superior Service Medal, Legion of Merit, two Distinguished Flying Crosses, and multiple Air Medals.

He has logged more than 5,000 flight hours in more than 50 different aircraft and has over 375 carrier landings. Senator Kelly retired from the Navy with the rank of Captain.

When I was 16, it was hard to believe that I would reach my dreams to become a Navy pilot and NASA astronaut. That’s why I am working to ensure every Arizonan gets a chance to achieve their own dreams.
In 1996, he was selected as an astronaut in the same NASA class as his identical twin brother Scott. Senator Kelly’s first of four trips into space was as pilot of STS-108 in December 2001, during which he helped deliver equipment, supplies, and additional crew members to the International Space Station.
All in all, Senator Kelly has spent more than 50 days in space — traveling over 20 million miles. He retired from NASA in 2011 after commanding Space Shuttle Endeavour on its final flight.

When you’re looking down from space at Earth, it really puts it into perspective that we’re all in this together.

Now, Senator Kelly has embarked on his next mission — serving as a U.S. Senator for Arizona, in the seat once held by Senator John McCain. After being sworn in on December 2, 2020, Senator Kelly went right to work helping Arizona get through the COVID-19 pandemic. He helped pass the American Rescue Plan, which put shots in arms and direct relief in the pockets of Arizonans. The Community Navigator Program, which Senator Kelly championed in the American Rescue Plan, is helping Arizona’s small businesses access the resources they need to keep their doors open and save local jobs.

Senator Kelly has broken through Washington gridlock to deliver real results for Arizonans. In his first year, he played a key role in shaping and passing the historic bipartisan infrastructure law, which is improving Arizona’s roads, bridges, water systems, ports of entry, high-speed internet access, wildfire response, and much more.

He’s taking on Washington corruption by introducing bold proposals to ban stock trading by members of Congress and put an end to corporate PACs.
Senator Kelly has also introduced a resolution that would require all members of Congress to publicly post their official schedule online. He is leading the effort to bring more transparency and accountability to Washington. Senator Kelly also worked on a bipartisan basis to secure the Senate passage of a $52 billion deal that’ll increase domestic microchip manufacturing to create high-paying Arizona jobs, strengthen supply chains to lower costs, and bolster national security. Additionally, he helped negotiate a landmark deal to drive down prescription drug prices and lower out-of-pocket costs for seniors.

Whether it was in the Navy or at NASA, we were all about teamwork and accomplishing the mission. That’s how it should be in Washington, too.
Senator Kelly’s focus remains on working with both Republicans and Democrats to create good-paying jobs, cut taxes for middle-class families, and lower costs for Arizonans.

Senator Kelly serves on the Armed Services, Environment and Public Works, Intelligence, Aging, and Joint Economic Committees. He is Chair of the Senate Armed Services Airland Subcommittee, where he plays a leading role in getting our airmen and soldiers the tools they need to do their jobs, while also expanding Arizona’s role in our national defense.

Senator Kelly is married to former Congresswoman Gabby Giffords and they live in Tucson.

I thought I knew a lot about public service. Then, I met Gabby, and she taught me how to use policy to improve people’s lives.
Senator Kelly has two daughters: Claire, a graduate of Arizona State University, and Claudia, who lives in Tucson and is a student at the University of Arizona. His favorite hobbies include spending time with family (especially his baby granddaughter Sage!), going to the gym, riding his bike around Tucson with Gabby, hiking, and exploring Arizona’s outdoors.

Personal

Full Name: Mark Kelly

Gender: Male

Family: Wife: Gabby; 2 Children: Claire, Claudia

Birth Date: 02/21/1964

Birth Place: West Orange, NJ

Home City: Tucson, AZ

Religion: Catholic

Source: Vote Smart

Education

BS, Marine Engineering, United States Merchant Marine Academy

Graduated, United States Naval Test Pilot School

MS, Aeronautical Engineering, United States Naval Postgraduate School

Political Experience

Senator, United States Senate, Arizona, 2020-present

Candidate, United States Senate, Arizona, 2022

Professional Experience

Captain, United States Navy

Co-Founder, World View Enterprises

Astronaut, National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), 1996-2011

Offices

PHOENIX
2201 E. Camelback Rd
Suite 115
Phoenix, AZ 85016

(602) 671-7901
Get Directions

TUCSON
1661 N. Swan Rd
Suite 238
Tucson, AZ 85712

(520) 475-5177
Get Directions

WASHINGTON
Hart Senate Office Building
Suite 516
Washington, DC 20510

(202) 224-2235

 

Contact

Email: Government

Web Links

Politics

Source: none

Election Results

To learn more, go to the wikipedia section in this post.

Finances

Source: Open Secrets

Committees

Committee on Armed Services[ …Subcommittee on Airland
Subcommittee on Emerging Threats and Capabilities (Chairman)
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources[69]Subcommittee on National Parks
Subcommittee on Public Lands, Forests, and Mining
Subcommittee on Water and Power
Committee on Environment and Public Works …Subcommittee on Chemical Safety, Waste Management, Environmental Justice, and Regulatory Oversight
Subcommittee on Fisheries, Water, and Wildlife
Subcommittee on Transportation and Infrastructure
Special Committee on Aging
Joint Economic Committee

New Legislation

CONGRESS.GOV  

Issues

Source: Government page

Lowering Costs for Arizona Families

Supply chain issues are driving up the price of nearly everything in Arizona from groceries to a gallon of gas. Fixing these supply chain bottlenecks must be Washington’s number one priority so we can get costs down, create good-paying jobs, and put our economy back on track.

Senator Kelly is leading efforts to lower high gas prices by strengthening our nation’s energy independence and eliminating the federal gas tax through the end of the year. He led the passage of a bipartisan plan to boost domestic microchip production, which will create high-paying Arizona jobs in addition to bringing down costs. Rising food prices are an issue he’s taken on by successfully pushing the administration to address anti-competitive practices in the meatpacking industry. He also helped negotiate a landmark deal that would lower prescription drug prices for seniors.

Senator Kelly will remain laser-focused on bringing down the high costs that are hitting Arizona families hard.

Building a 21st Century Economy in Arizona

We not only need to rebuild our economy, but also reinvent it for the 21st century. That starts with upgrading Arizona’s infrastructure and expanding job training for Arizonans, including those who won’t get a four year degree.

Senator Kelly helped shape and pass the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law that is already upgrading Arizona’s roads and bridges, modernizing our ports of entry, improving our water infrastructure, and delivering much-needed high-speed internet access to our rural and tribal communities. This bill is bringing high-paying jobs to Arizona and ensuring that it remains the best place to live, work, start a business, and raise a family.

Preparing Arizonans with the skills needed to fill the jobs of the future, like those created by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, is an important priority for Senator Kelly. He has been working to build new job training centers in Arizona, strengthen apprenticeship and job training programs, as well as investing in microchip manufacturing and our state’s growing tech and defense sectors.

More Information

Services

Source: Government page

Wikipedia


Early life and education

Mark Kelly was born on February 21, 1964, in Orange, New Jersey, and raised in West Orange, New Jersey.[2][3] He and his identical twin brother, Scott Kelly, are sons of Richard and Patricia (née McAvoy) Kelly, two retired police officers.[4][5] Kelly is of Irish, Polish, and English descent.[6][7] Kelly graduated from Mountain High School in 1982. In 1986, he took highest honors in a marine engineering and nautical science BSc from the United States Merchant Marine Academy. In 1994, he received a MSc in aeronautical engineering from the U.S. Naval Postgraduate School.[2]

Naval career (1987–2011)

In December 1987, Kelly became a naval aviator and received initial training on the Grumman A-6E Intruder attack aircraft. He was then assigned to Attack Squadron 115 (VA-115) at NAF Atsugi in Kanagawa, Japan. He was deployed twice with VA-115 to the Persian Gulf aboard the aircraft carrier USS Midway, which was homeported at Naval Station Yokosuka in Yokosuka, Japan. During Operation Desert Storm, Kelly flew 39 combat missions. After the Gulf War, Kelly received his master’s degree and then attended U.S. Naval Test Pilot School from 1993 to 1994. As a naval aviator and test pilot, he has logged over 5,000 hours in more than 50 different aircraft and trapped over 375 carrier landings.[2]

During his Navy career, Kelly received two Defense Superior Service Medals; one Legion of Merit; two Distinguished Flying Crosses; four Air Medals (two individual/two strike flight) with Combat “V”; two Navy Commendation Medals, (one with combat “V”); one Navy Achievement Medal; two Southwest Asia Service Medals; one Navy Expeditionary Medal; two Sea Service Deployment Ribbons; a NASA Distinguished Service Medal; and an Overseas Service Ribbon.[2][8]

On June 21, 2011, Kelly announced his retirement from both the Navy and NASA, effective October 1, citing Gabby Giffords‘s needs during her recovery from the attempt on her life that January.[1]

NASA career (1996–2011)

Kelly’s official NASA portrait, 2005

NASA selected both Kelly and his identical twin, Scott Kelly, to be Space Shuttle pilots in 1996. They joined the NASA Astronaut Corps in August of that year.[2] They are the only siblings to have both traveled into orbit.[9][10]

Spaceflight experience

STS-108

Photo of STS-108 commander Dominic L. Pudwill Gorie and pilot Mark Kelly
STS-108 Commander Dominic L. Pudwill Gorie and Pilot Mark Kelly, in their stations during rendezvous operations with the International Space Station, 2001

Kelly’s first trip into space was as pilot of STS-108. After several delays, Endeavour lifted off on December 5, 2001, on the final Shuttle mission of 2001.[11]

STS-108 Endeavour visited the ISS, delivering over three tons of equipment, supplies, and a fresh crew to the orbiting outpost.[2] The hatches were opened between Endeavour and the ISS Destiny Laboratory on December 7, enabling the 10 crew members to greet one another. The Expedition 3 crew officially ended their 117-day residency on board the ISS on December 8 as their custom Soyuz seat-liners were transferred to Endeavour for the return trip home. The transfer of the Expedition 4 seat-liners to the Soyuz return vehicle attached to the station marked the official exchange of crews.[11]

Kelly and Mission Specialist Linda Godwin used the shuttle’s robotic arm to lift the Raffaello Multi-Purpose Logistics Module from the shuttle payload bay and attach it to a berth on the station’s Unity node. The crews began unloading supplies the same day. Mission managers extended Endeavour’s flight duration to 12 days to allow the crew to assist with additional maintenance tasks on the station, including work on a treadmill and replacing a failed compressor in one of the air conditioners in the Zvezda Service Module. A change of command ceremony took place on December 13 as Expedition 3 ended and Expedition 4 began. STS-108 returned to Earth with the previous ISS crew of three men.[11]

Kelly traveled over 4.8 million miles and orbited the Earth 186 times over 11 days and 19+ hours.[11]

STS-121

Photo STS-121 crew.
Kelly (center) surrounded by Piers J. Sellers (right), Michael E. Fossum (left), cosmonaut Pavel V. Vinogradov[12] (center left) and Stephanie D. Wilson (center right), 2006

In July 2006, Kelly piloted STS-121 Discovery, the second “Return to Flight” mission after the loss of Columbia in February 2003. Because of weather delays, STS-121 became the first shuttle mission to launch on the Fourth of July.[13] In 2006, Kelly discussed the risks aboard the Space Shuttle:

STS-124

Photo STS-124 in front of NASA Astrovan before liftoff at Kennedy Space Center
Commander Kelly with his crew at the Kennedy Space Center just before boarding Discovery on May 31, 2008

STS-124 Discovery was Kelly’s first mission as commander. A month before liftoff, he discussed what being a shuttle commander entailed and how it was different from his previous missions:

[19]

The mission was the second of three shuttle missions to carry components of Japan’s Kibo laboratory to the ISS. Kibo is Japanese for “hope”. The laboratory is Japan’s primary contribution to the ISS.[20]

Just before liftoff, Kelly said, “While we’ve all prepared for this event today, the discoveries from Kibo will definitely offer hope for tomorrow. Now stand by for the greatest show on Earth.”[21]

During the launch, Launch Pad 39A sustained substantial damage, more than had been seen on any previous launch. After liftoff, inspectors discovered that bricks and mortar from the launch pad’s base had been thrown as far as the perimeter fence, a distance of 1,500 feet (457 m).[22]

Kelly and his crew delivered the pressurized module for Kibo to the ISS. The module is the Kibo laboratory’s largest component and the station’s largest habitable module.[20] Discovery also delivered Kibo’s Remote Manipulator System.[20] It also delivered a replacement part for the station’s toilet. The ISS’s toilet had been malfunctioning for a week, creating a potentially serious problem for the crew.[23] When Kelly first entered the station, he joked, “You looking for a plumber?”[23]

This mission was the first time a spouse of a member of Congress traveled to space.[24] Kelly traveled over 5.7 million miles, and orbited the Earth 218 times over 13 days and 18 hours.[2] As of 2009, Kelly had logged over 54 days in space overall.[2]

STS-134

[25]

STS-134 launched on May 16, 2011.

On April 29, 2011, the first launch attempt of STS-134 was scrubbed. Giffords traveled to Florida on her first trip since moving from Tucson to Houston in January after an attempted assassination. Her appearance at Kennedy Space Center gave the launch a high profile, “one of the most anticipated in years”, according to The New York Times. President Barack Obama visited the Kennedy Space Center on April 29 on a trip with the original intention of watching the Endeavour launch.[26]

Kelly was the commander of the mission, which was Endeavour‘s last.[27] He and his crew delivered the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer to the ISS.[28]

Most of the mission’s delays were caused by external tank issues on STS-133 Discovery.[29] When Scott Kelly went to the ISS on October 7, 2010, STS-134 was scheduled to go to the station during his mission. The potential rendezvous in space of the Kelly brothers would have been a first meeting of blood relatives in space.[30] The delay of STS-134’s launch ended that possibility.

After his wife’s shooting, Kelly’s status was unclear, but NASA announced on February 4, 2011, that he would remain commander of the mission. The remarkable progress his wife was making in her recovery helped Kelly decide to return to training.[31] Peggy Whitson, chief of the NASA Astronaut Office at the time, said, “we are confident in his ability to successfully lead this mission, and I know I speak for all of NASA in saying ‘welcome back’.”[32]

Papal blessing

At 4 p.m. PDT on May 22, 2011, the European Space Agency and Italian Space Agency arranged for a call to Endeavour by Pope Benedict XVI. During his call, Benedict extended his blessing to Giffords, who had undergone skull surgery earlier in the week. The event marked the first time a pope spoke to astronauts during a mission.[33][34]

U2

On June 24, 2011, a recorded message by Kelly from the ISS wished his wife love using song lyrics from David Bowie‘s “Space Oddity” and introduced U2‘s song “Beautiful Day” on the first night of the Glastonbury festival in England. A similar message from Kelly aboard the ISS was played during U2’s 360° Tour concert stop at various locations. It said: “I’m looking forward to coming home. Tell my wife I love her very much. She knows.”[35]

Retirement

On June 21, 2011, Kelly announced that he would leave NASA’s astronaut corps and the U.S. Navy effective October 1. He cited Giffords’s needs during her recovery as a reason for his retirement.[1] He announced his retirement on his Facebook page, writing: “Words cannot convey my deep gratitude for the opportunities I have been given to serve our great nation. From the day I entered the United States Merchant Marine Academy in the summer of 1982 to the moment I landed the Space Shuttle Endeavour three weeks ago, it has been my privilege to advance the ideals that define the United States of America.”[36]

Post-NASA career (2011–2016)

Author

In 2011, Kelly and Giffords coauthored Gabby: A Story of Courage, Love and Resilience. The book provides biographical information on the couple and describes in detail the assassination attempt on Giffords and her initial recovery. Written in Kelly’s voice, it includes a short note by Giffords at the end.[37]

Kelly’s second book, Mousetronaut: Based on a (Partially) True Story (2012), is a children’s book illustrated by C. F. Payne.[38] It was a New York Times number one bestseller[39] and was followed the next year by a sequel, Mousetronaut Goes to Mars.[40]

In 2014, Giffords and Kelly coauthored Enough: Our Fight to Keep America Safe from Gun Violence.[41]

In 2015, Kelly and Martha Freeman co-wrote Astrotwins: Project Blastoff, a fictional story about twins Scott and Mark who build a space capsule in their grandfather’s backyard and try to send the first kid into orbit. Kelly dedicated this book to Scott Kelly.[42] The sequel, Astrotwins—Project Rescue, was published in 2016.[43]

Aerospace work

Kelly was a co-founder and strategic advisor of Tucson-based high-altitude balloon near-space exploration company World View Enterprises.[44] He served as Director of Flight Crew Operations beginning in 2013, and was involved in the development of the new craft, as well as its procedures and operations.[45] Chinese company Tencent invested millions into World View between 2013 and 2016.[46] Kelly left World View in 2019, before he started his Senate campaign; as of 2021 he held over $100,000 of World View stocks through a blind trust.[46]

On March 28, 2012, SpaceX announced that Kelly would be part of an independent safety advisory panel composed of leading human spaceflight safety experts.[47]

Speeches

From 2011 to 2016, Kelly delivered paid speeches in the U.S. and in China on behalf of Shaklee, a multi-level marketing distributor of nutritional supplements.[48][49]

Separately, Kelly has also delivered paid speeches to bank Goldman Sachs, the Mortgage Bankers Association, and drug company AmerisourceBergen.[50]

Political activism

In January 2013, weeks after the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting, Kelly and Giffords started a nonprofit political action committee, Americans for Responsible Solutions (ARS). The organization’s mission is to promote solutions to gun violence with elected officials and the general public. The couple say it supports the Second Amendment while promoting responsible gun ownership and “keeping guns out of the hands of dangerous people like criminals, terrorists, and the mentally ill”.[51] The group claims that “current gun laws allow private sellers to sell guns without a background check, creating a loophole that provides criminals and the mentally ill easy access to guns”.[51] On March 31, 2013, Kelly said, “any bill that does not include a universal background check is a mistake. It’s the most common-sense thing we can do to prevent criminals and the mentally ill from having access to weapons.”[52] In 2016, ARS merged with the Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence to become Giffords,[53] which besides background checks advocates for red flag laws.[54][55][56][57]

U.S. Senate (2020–present)

Elections

2020 special

Kelly at the launch of his U.S. Senate campaign in downtown Phoenix in February 2019

On February 12, 2019, Kelly announced that he would run as a Democrat in the 2020 U.S. Senate special election in Arizona.[58] Kelly looked to unseat incumbent Republican Martha McSally, a fellow veteran who was appointed to the seat shortly after losing the 2018 election for the state’s other seat in the Senate to Democrat Kyrsten Sinema. The seat was vacated upon John McCain‘s death on August 25, 2018, and held by Governor Doug Ducey‘s appointee Jon Kyl until Kyl resigned on December 31, 2018.[58] Kelly declined to accept campaign contributions from corporate political action committees (PACs), but did accept hundreds of thousands of dollars in campaign contributions from corporate executives and lobbyists.[59][60]

The Associated Press called the race for Kelly on November 4, 2020. His election marks the first time since 1953 that Arizona has had two Democratic senators.[61] As the election was a special election, Kelly took office during the 116th Congress, shortly after Arizona certified its election results on November 30, unlike other senators and representatives elected in 2020, who took office at the opening of the 117th Congress on January 3, 2021. Kelly was sworn in at noon on December 2.

Kelly is the fifth retired astronaut to be elected to Congress, after John Glenn, Harrison Schmitt, Bill Nelson, and Jack Swigert.[62][63][a]

2022

Kelly was reelected in 2022, defeating Republican nominee Blake Masters by 125,719 votes.[64]

Tenure

Kelly being sworn in as senator from Arizona by Vice President Mike Pence, with his wife, Gabby Giffords

On December 2, 2020, Kelly cast his first Senate vote, a “no” vote on the nomination of Kathryn C. Davis to the U.S. Court of Federal Claims.[65] On December 9, Kelly voted “no” on a resolution blocking President Donald Trump from selling $23 billion in drones to the United Arab Emirates. Kelly split his vote by voting yes on another resolution blocking F-35 sales to the UAE. Both resolutions failed.[66]

In the wake of the January 6 U.S. Capitol attack, Kelly said that Vice President Mike Pence and Trump’s cabinet “have the responsibility to discuss invoking the 25th amendment”, Section 4 of which allows the vice president and cabinet to declare the president unable to serve and transfer presidential power to the vice president. Kelly voted to convict in Trump’s second impeachment trial, along with 56 other senators.[67]

In January 2023, three bills regarding Indian tribes, introduced by Kelly and fellow Arizona Senator Kyrsten Sinema, were signed into law by President Joe Biden.[68] One bill regarding the White Mountain Apache Tribe Water Rights Quantification Act allocated more federal money and time to build water infrastructure for the White Mountain Apache Tribe.[68] A second bill, the Colorado River Indian Tribes Water Resiliency Act, permitted the Colorado River Indian Tribes (the Mohave, Chemehuevi, Hopi, and Navajo) to begin leasing out parts of the Colorado River they were allocated, while a third bill, the Hualapai Tribe Water Rights Settlement Act, allocated part of the Colorado River to the Hualapai tribe, so that water infrastructure can deliver water to the tribe.[68]

During the 117th Congress, Kelly co-sponsored several legislative bills that were supported by both parties and became law; these bills included those on the topics of mandating de-escalation training for law enforcement, updating ocean shipping governance, combating human trafficking, and reimbursing people suffering from radiation from atomic weapon tests; during the 118th Congress, Kelly co-sponsored the bipartisan END FENTANYL Act, passed in 2023. The law requires United States Customs and Border Protection to refresh its interdiction procedures at least every three years to mitigate advances in narcotics and human trafficking across the U.S. southern border.[69]

In November 2025, Kelly was one of six Democratic lawmakers to participate in a video reminding military service members that they may refuse “illegal orders“.[70][71] Later that month, President Trump called those in the video, including Kelly, traitors who should be charged with sedition and shared a social media post calling for them to be hanged.[72][73][74][75][76]

On November 24, 2025, the United States Department of Defense announced that Kelly was under investigation after it received “serious allegations of misconduct” in relation to the “illegal orders” video.[77][78] Kelly and the other lawmakers in the video subsequently received threats. He told CNN, “We get more threats now in a single day than we would get in months, and they’re graphic, they’re violent.”[79] Kelly raised $12.5 million in the final quarter of 2025.[80] On January 5, 2026, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth announced that the Pentagon would pursue administrative measures against Kelly, including the reduction of his retirement pay, in response to his participation in the video.[81] Kelly sued one week later, alleging that the actions violated the principles of protected free speech and legislative independence.[82]

In February 2026, a grand jury declined to return an indictment against Kelly and the others for the video.[83] Subsequently, Judge Richard J. Leon of the United States District Court for the District of Columbia issued a temporary injunction against Hegseth’s proposed actions on Kelly’s rank and pension.[84] Hegseth said Leon’s decision would be “immediately appealed”.[84]

Committee assignments

Political positions

Kelly with Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and U.S. Senator Chuck Schumer on October 15, 2023

Kelly ran as a moderate in 2020 and voiced support for bipartisanship.[98][99][100] Since joining the Senate, he supported abolishing the filibuster in order to pass voting rights legislation[101] and a federal minimum wage increase to $15 per hour. He criticized Joe Biden‘s approach to border security.[102][103] As of October 2022, Kelly had voted in line with Biden’s stated position 94.5% of the time.[104]

Abortion

As a candidate in 2020, Kelly said he was “pro-choice” and was endorsed by Planned Parenthood.[105] He supports codifying Roe v. Wade into federal law.[106] He has said that late-stage abortions should be legally protected.[107]

Climate and environment

Kelly has voiced support for climate action, but said he “does not favor” the Green New Deal.[108] The League of Conservation Voters gave him a 97% score in 2021.[109] In a 2021 Greenpeace exposé,[110] Kelly was one of 11 U.S. senators ExxonMobil Senior Director for Federal Relations Keith McCoy called “crucial” to the company.[111] Kelly has received funding from ExxonMobil lobbyists.[112] In 2022, he advocated for an expansion of oil drilling in the wake of rising gas prices.[113][114]

Kelly was one of three Senate Democrats (alongside John Fetterman and Ruben Gallego) to vote to confirm Lee Zeldin as Environmental Protection Agency Administrator.[115]

Israel

Kelly has voiced strong support for Israel, saying on the Senate floor: “I cannot and will never abandon Israel. Israel is one of our closest partners. They have a right to defend themselves, and I will always support Israel’s right to exist as a successful and prosperous nation.”[116]

Guns

Kelly became an outspoken advocate for gun control after the attempted assassination of his wife, former U.S. Representative Gabby Giffords, in the 2011 Tucson mass shooting.[117]

Kelly voted for the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act in response to the Robb Elementary School shooting in Uvalde, Texas.[118][119]

Healthcare

Kelly supports building on the Affordable Care Act (also known as Obamacare) to include a public health insurance option.[117][120] He opposes Medicare for All.[121]

Immigration

Kelly has expressed support for the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, saying, “Dreamers are as American as anyone.”[122][105] In July 2024, he blamed former President Donald Trump for sinking a bipartisan border bill.[123]

In 2025, Kelly was one of 12 Senate Democrats who joined all Republicans to vote for the Laken Riley Act.[124]

Donald Trump

In February 2021, Kelly voted to convict Donald Trump for incitement of insurrection in his second impeachment trial,[67] and has been outspoken in his disdain for him.[125]

Personal life

Kelly married Amelia Victoria Babis on January 7, 1989. They divorced in 2004. They have two daughters, Claudia and Claire Kelly.[126]

[16] The couple met on a 2003 trip to China as part of a trade mission sponsored by the National Committee on U.S.–China Relations.[127][128] Giffords is Jewish.[128] Kelly maintains a close relationship with the family of the Israeli astronaut Ilan Ramon, with whom he served in Dallas.[128]

At the time of their marriage, Kelly lived in Houston, Texas,[129] and said the longest stretch of time the two had spent together was a couple of weeks. He said that they did not plan to always live that way, but that it was what they were used to. He added, “It teaches you not to sweat the small stuff.”[16]

Kelly appeared on an episode of Celebrity Jeopardy! in 2015.[130]

Shooting in Tucson

Giffords was shot in an assassination attempt on January 8, 2011,[131] which killed six people and brought national attention to Kelly.[132][133] On February 4, Kelly described the previous month as the hardest time of his life[134] and expressed his gratitude for the enormous outpouring of support, good wishes and prayers for his wife. He said that he believed people’s prayers for her helped.[135]

One of Giffords’s aides informed Kelly of the shooting almost immediately after it happened. He flew from Houston to Tucson with members of his family. En route, the Kellys received an erroneous news report that Giffords had died. “The kids, Claudia and Claire, started crying. My mother, she almost screamed. I just walked into the bathroom, and, you know, broke down.” Calling family in Tucson, Kelly found out that the report had been false and that she was alive and in surgery. “It was a terrible mistake,” Kelly said. “As bad as it was that she had died, it’s equally exciting that she hadn’t.”[136]

From the time he arrived in Tucson, Kelly sat vigil at his wife’s bedside as she struggled to survive and began to recover. As her condition began to improve, the Kelly-Giffords family researched options for rehabilitation facilities and chose one in Houston. On January 21, Giffords was transferred to the Memorial Hermann–Texas Medical Center,[137] where she spent five days before moving to TIRR Memorial Hermann, where she continued her recovery and rehabilitation.[138]

Giffords and Kelly had spoken dozens of times about how risky her job was. She was afraid that someone with a gun would come up to her at a public event. In an interview filmed just over a week after the shooting, Kelly said, “She has Tombstone, Arizona, in her district, the town that’s too tough to die. Gabrielle Giffords is too tough to let this beat her.”[136]

Aftermath

Kelly and Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano at the Tucson memorial service
Kelly and homeland security secretary and former Arizona governor Janet Napolitano at the Tucson memorial service

A memorial service for those killed in the assassination attempt was held on January 12, 2011, at the University of Arizona. President Obama flew to Tucson to speak at the memorial. Kelly sat between First Lady Michelle Obama and Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano, the former governor of Arizona. At the end of the service, Obama consoled and embraced him, after which Kelly returned to the hospital to be with his wife.[139]

Kelly spoke on February 3, 2011, at the National Prayer Breakfast in Washington, D.C. His remarks closed the event, where Obama also spoke. Kelly said the attack on his wife brought him closer to God and gave him a newfound awareness regarding prayer. He said that before the attack, “I thought the world just spins and the clock just ticks and things happen for no particular reason”, but that, in Tucson, as he found himself wandering in makeshift memorials and shrines filled with Bibles and angels, “You pray where you are. You pray when God is there in your heart.”[140] Kelly offered the final prayer of the morning, lightly adapted by Rabbi Stephanie Aaron from a traditional bedtime prayer. Rabbi Aaron, who had married Kelly and Giffords, had said the same words over Giffords on the night of the shooting:

[140]

In 2011, Kelly said he believed there was a chance to change a political environment he believed was too vitriolic. He hoped that the tragedy would be an opportunity to improve the tone of the national dialogue and cool down the rhetoric.[136] In response to a question on February 4, 2011, about civility in politics, Kelly said, “I haven’t spent a lot of time following that, but I think that with something that was so horrible and so negative, and the fact that six people lost their lives including a nine-year-old girl, a federal judge, Gabby’s staff member Gabe—who was like a younger brother to her—it’s really, really a sad situation. I am hopeful that something positive can come out of it. I think that will happen, so those are good things.”[135]

Electoral history

YearOfficePartyPrimaryGeneralResultSwing
Total%Change in percentage value since previous election</span>”}]]}’>±%#</span><span about=\”#mwt522\”>3333FF</span>;”}]]}’>Democratic665,62099.93%1st1,716,46751.16%+10.41%1stWon#</span><span about=\”#mwt527\”>3333FF</span>;”}]]}’>Democratic589,400100.0%1st1,322,02751.39%+0.22%1stWon[141][142][143]

Bronze oak leaf cluster

Gold star

V
Gold star
Gold star
Gold star

V
Gold star

Gold star

Gold star
Gold star
Gold star

Bronze star

Naval Pilot Astronaut Badge
Defense Superior Service Medal
One oak leaf cluster		Legion of MeritDistinguished Flying Cross
One award star
Air Medal
Valor device and three service stars		Navy Commendation Medal
Valor device and one service star		Navy Achievement MedalNavy Unit Commendation
One service star
NASA Outstanding Leadership MedalNASA Exceptional Service MedalNASA Space Flight Medal
Three service stars		Navy Expeditionary Medal
National Defense Service Medal
One service star		Armed Forces Expeditionary MedalSouthwest Asia Service Medal
One service star		Sea Service Deployment Ribbon
One service star
Overseas Service RibbonNavy Marksmanship Medal–PistolKuwait Liberation Medal (Saudi Arabia)Kuwait Liberation Medal (Kuwait)

Notes

  1. ↑ Swigert was elected to Congress, but never served, dying a week before he would have taken office.

References

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  138. ↑ “U.S. Rep. Giffords moved to TIRR Memorial Hermann”. Associated Press. January 26, 2011. Archived from the original on March 11, 2012. Retrieved February 8, 2011.
  139. ↑ Cooper, Helene (January 12, 2011). “Obama Calls for a New Era of Civility in U.S. Politics”. The New York Times. Archived from the original on August 21, 2018. Retrieved February 8, 2011.
  140. 1 2 Grossman, Cathy Lynn (February 4, 2011). “Mark Kelly finds God, angels after Tucson tragedy”. USA Today. Archived from the original on February 7, 2011. Retrieved February 8, 2011.
  141. ↑ Kelly, Mark (July 2011). “Biographical Data” (PDF). NASA. Archived (PDF) from the original on April 13, 2021. Retrieved December 15, 2020.
  142. ↑ “Mark E. Kelly ’86”. USMMA Alumni. Retrieved December 16, 2020.
  143. ↑ “Astronaut Biography: Mark E. Kelly”. Space.com. May 15, 2008. Archived from the original on May 12, 2021. Retrieved December 16, 2020.

Further reading

NASA
Political career
Family


source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mark_Kelly

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