(Phoenix, Arizona) — Arizona candidate for U.S. Senate Mark Kelly spoke February 22 to a crowd of supporters at the opening of the Phoenix Mission for Arizona office in central Phoenix.
Mark Kelly, 56, announced his run for Senate on February 12, 2019. He is running a democrat.
Kelly is a former U.S. Navy captain and NASA astronaut who is married to former U.S. Representative Gabby Giffords.
Kelly, also a gun-control activist, is challenging appointed Senator Martha McSally. Both candidates are combat veterans.
The Senate seat was vacated after former Republican Senator John McCain’s death.
The race is very important in Arizona, considered a swing state in the presidential race, and one of the few that will decide control of the Senate in the 2020 elections.
“Leadership is figuring out a way forward together as a team,” said Kelly, asking his supporters to work as an “army” to help him, and other democratic candidates in Arizona win elections to “turn the state blue”.
In his speech, Mark Kelly emphasized his background as an astronaut and Navy pilot.
“I think I can bring some of those experiences to Washington, D.C. to try help solve some of these problems,” Kelly said to supporters.
He said he will work on issues as the economy, health care, services for military veterans, and climate change.
Kelly said that if he is successful in becoming a senator, he’ll focus on three things: science and data and facts.
He has to first win the primary election scheduled for August 4.
Mark Kelly and gun control
Kelly began advocating for stricter gun laws after Giffords was shot at a public event on January 8, 2011.
Both Kelly and his wife teamed up to launch an organization to fight gun violence.
This organization, called Giffords, works nationally with families, law enforcement agencies, gun owners, military veterans, and other groups to seek stronger gun safety laws.
To learn more about Mark Kelly visit his campaign site.
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