Person

Person of New York

KELLY Mark
KELLY Mark
Subscribe to the person
KELLY Mark

KELLY
Mark

United States Senator from Arizona

United States Senate
  • Date of Birth: 21 February 1964
  • Age: 62 years old
  • In the rating: #5 Senator

Connections 1

Content

Biography

Mark Edward Kelly is an American politician, businessman, retired astronaut for NASA, and retired U.S. Navy captain serving as the junior United States senator from Arizona since 2020. A member of the Democratic Party, he won the 2020 special election, narrowly defeating incumbent Republican Martha McSally. Formerly an aerospace consultant and executive, Kelly is the author of several books.

Kelly flew combat missions during the Gulf War as a naval aviator before being selected as a NASA Space Shuttle pilot in 1996. He flew his first space mission in 2001 as pilot of STS-108, piloted STS-121 in 2006, and commanded STS-124 in 2008 and STS-134 in 2011, the final mission of Space Shuttle Endeavour. His identical twin Scott Kelly is also a retired astronaut; they are the only siblings to have both traveled in space.

Kelly's wife, then-Arizona Congresswoman Gabby Giffords, was shot and nearly killed in an assassination attempt on January 8, 2011. Six people died in the Tucson shooting. After the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting the following year, Giffords and Kelly founded the nonprofit Americans for Responsible Solutions, later renamed Giffords, which campaigns for gun control like universal background checks for firearms and red flag laws. Kelly won the 2020 United States Senate special election in Arizona and was sworn in on December 2, 2020.

Early life and education

Mark Edward Kelly and twin brother Scott Kelly are the sons of Richard and Patricia (née McAvoy) Kelly, two retired police officers. He is of Irish descent. He was born on February 21, 1964, in Orange, New Jersey, and raised in West Orange, New Jersey. Kelly graduated from Mountain High School in 1982. He received a Bachelor of Science in marine engineering and nautical science from the United States Merchant Marine Academy, graduating with highest honors in 1986. In 1994, he received a Master of Science in aeronautical engineering from the U.S. Naval Postgraduate School.

Career

NASA

NASA selected both Mark and Scott Kelly to be Space Shuttle pilots in 1996. They joined the NASA Astronaut Corps in August of that year. Mark Kelly has logged over 54 days in space. During his 2006 flight on Space Shuttle Discovery, the second mission after the loss of Space Shuttle Columbia, Kelly discussed the risks of flying the Space Shuttle:

The Space Shuttle's a very complex machine. It's got a lot of moving parts that move and operate at pretty much the limit of what we've been able to engineer. Spaceflight is risky. I think with regards to the tank, we've reduced some of the risk there. We've changed the design a little bit and we've made some pretty big strides in trying to get foam not to shed from the tank anymore. So there is some risk reduction there and I guess overall the risk is probably a little less. But this is a risky business, but it's got a big reward. Everybody on board Discovery and the space station here thinks it's worthwhile.

U.S. Senate

On February 12, 2019, Kelly announced that he would run as a Democrat in the 2020 United States Senate special election in Arizona. Kelly looked to unseat incumbent Republican Martha McSally, a fellow veteran who was appointed to the position shortly after losing the 2018 Senate election 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.[56] Kelly declined to accept campaign contributions from corporate political action committees (PACs), but did accept thousands of dollars in campaign contributions from corporate executives and lobbyists.

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. 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. His term ends in 2023, after which his seat will be occupied by the winner of the 2022 election, in which Kelly is running.

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

Kelly has announced his candidacy for reelection in 2022. As of October 2021, polls show him leading all potential Republican opponents in head-to-head matchups.

On December 2, 2020, Kelly cast his first Senate vote, a "no" vote on the nomination of Kathryn C. Davis to the United States 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.

In the wake of the 2021 storming of the United States Capitol, Kelly expressed support for Vice President Mike Pence and Trump's cabinet invoking the Twenty-fifth Amendment to the United States Constitution to remove Trump from office. He voted to convict in Trump's second impeachment trial, along with 56 other senators.

From December 2020 to November 2021, Kelly had missed 2 of 517 roll call votes.

As of November 2021, Kelly had voted in line with President Joe Biden's stated position 100% of the time.

Rating GlobalNY.biz

Mentions in the news View all

Mentioned together View all

Colleagues View all

Born in one day View all

Astrological profile CALCULATE

Date of Birth 21 February 1964
Age 62 years old
Pisces Zodiac sign Pisces Fish - go with the flow People born under the sign of Pisces are mostly passive, devoid of perseverance, purposefulness and unstable. They are not able to withstand the circumstances, they are constantly hovering in dreams, believing that everything…
Dragon Chinese horoscope Dragon Dragon - energy and activity People born in the years of the Dragon have excellent health and a large supply of vitality. They are energetic and active, emotional and decisive, headstrong and wayward. The dragon is a strong-willed, noble and generou…
Stork Slavic horoscope Stork Born under the Stork sign of the Slavic horoscope, people often combine mythic memory with practical steadiness — reading cycles early and standing firm for those they call their own.
Geb Egyptian horoscope Geb Geb in the Egyptian horoscope marks a period ruled by a distinct god — shaping temperament, luck in affairs, and the way a person protects what they value.
Ash Druid horoscope Ash Ash bridges the practical and the meaningful. Born 18 February to 17 March, Ash people connect ideas, languages and people, making complex things understandable.
Kumbha Indian horoscope Kumbha The Vedic rashi Kumbha carries a sidereal rhythm of Jyotish — temperament, dharma leanings, and the ruling graha color how a person acts and chooses.
Mimosa Flower horoscope Mimosa The flower talisman Mimosa reflects character through nature’s calendar — sensitivity, aesthetic sense, and seasonal rhythm shape daily choices.
Pisces — 1st decan Decan horoscope Pisces — 1st decan The Pisces — 1st decan decan refines your zodiac sign with a sub-ruler accent — temperament, decision style, and inner strengths differ even within the same sun sign.

This day is celebrated: Mother Language Day

Horoscope Pisces: horoscope for today, horoscope for tomorrow, horoscope for week, horoscope for month, horoscope for year, 双鱼座 星座运势, tử vi song ngư, ดูดวง มีน

Days left until next birthday: 126 Days.

Profile statistic

mentions
views

About company

United States Senate

The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, which, along with the United States House of Representatives—the lower chamber—constitutes the legislature of the United St...

Quotes

All

Brenda Vaccaro Reveals Why She Left Michael Douglas

VACCARO Brenda
VACCARO Brenda

I fell in love with somebody else, and I knew it

NASA Names Astronaut Christina Koch Acting Deputy Chief Engineer

ISAACMAN Jared
ISAACMAN Jared

Christina has seen NASA engineering from both sides of the equation: developing complex systems on the ground and trusting them with her life in space

Blondie Reopens Its New York Story With High Noon

HARRY Deborah
HARRY Deborah

This music feels grounded in the present, shaped by who we are and how we’re living now

Pedro Pascal Discovers His Most Intimidating Co-Star Is a Cello

PASCAL Pedro
PASCAL Pedro

I’d never been so afraid

Paul Bettany Reveals the Call That Rebuilt His Hollywood Career

BETTANY Paul
BETTANY Paul

Maybe my career is over

Persons

All
Buy this ad slot 240×400 slot is free Write →