Astronaut Mark Kelly announced he will run for Senate in Arizona. Kelly, a Democrat, was already accomplished in his own right as a commander of the space shuttle and Gulf War fighter pilot, but his name became more widely known after his wife, Gabby Giffords (a Congresswoman at the time) was shot in 2011. After her recovery, Giffords and Kelly become advocates for gun control. Kelly says, “What I learned from my wife is how you use policy to improve people’s lives.” His video makes it clear that he wants to continue what she started and to “make a difference in the world.”
My next mission… #FullSpeedAhead #ForArizona pic.twitter.com/5E36z7aztH
— Captain Mark Kelly (@CaptMarkKelly) February 12, 2019
Kelly is expected to face Martha McSally. The Republican lost the general election in 2018 to Democrat Kyrsten Sinema but was appointed to take over John McCain’s seat soon after.
Watch Kelly’s full campaign launch video above.