AZ SENATE: Mark Kelly (D)
Mark Kelly is the son of two police officers. Growing up, he and his twin brother Scott learned the importance of a hard day’s work. When the Kelly family struggled at times to make ends meet, Mark Kelly began working at the local Dairy Queen and eventually became an EMT.
Kelly attended the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy and U.S. Naval Postgraduate School. During that time he earned a Bachelor’s degree in marine engineering and nautical science from the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy and later a Master’s degree in aeronautical engineering from the U.S. Naval Postgraduate School.
In the Navy, Kelly served as a combat pilot and flew 39 missions in Operation Desert Storm on the aircraft carrier USS Midway. He has logged more than 5,000 flight hours in more than 50 different aircraft and completed over 375 carrier landings.
Kelly is the recipient of the Defense Superior Service Medal, Legion of Merit, two Distinguished Flying Crosses, and multiple Air Medals.
In 1996, Kelly was selected as an astronaut for NASA in the same class as his twin brother Scott. He flew his first of four missions in space in 2001 aboard Space Shuttle Endeavour and a decade later commanded the space shuttle’s final mission. He spent more than 50 days in space and lived on the International Space Station.
Kelly and his wife, former Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, D-Ariz., were married in 2007. After an assassination attempt nearly took Giffords’s life, she retired from Congress, but has continued her work as an advocate for gun control.
In 2011, Kelly retired from NASA, having served a combined 25 years in both the Navy and at the space agency. He credits those years with teaching him the importance of quick thinking, working together to get the job done, and serving our country.
The Kellys live in Tucson with their dog Nelson and they frequently play host to their new granddaughter, Sage. Kelly’s daughter Claire recently graduated from Arizona State University and his oldest daughter Claudia, a student at the University of Arizona, lives in Tucson.
Kelly took office in December 2020 after Arizonans elected him to fill out the remainder of the late Sen. John McCain’s term.
The biographical information above was sourced from the campaign website; see links above for more information.
