PHOENIX — Senator Mark Kelly has won his race for reelection and will continue to represent Arizona in the United States Congress, according to the Associated Press.
The announcement comes after several days of ballot counts and ballot drops by election officials. Kelly had maintained a slight lead over Blake Masters throughout the ballot-counting process.
Kelly gave remarks on his victory Saturday morning in Phoenix after the AP called the race Friday night. Watch the full speech below.
On Tuesday, Masters tweeted saying he congratulated Senator Mark Kelly. He added, "There were obviously a lot of problems with this election, but there is no path forward in my race."
— Blake Masters (@bgmasters) November 15, 2022
Kelly, a Democrat, defeated Blake Masters who had the endorsement of former President Donald Trump. Masters was the Republican nominee and spent most of his career working for billionaire Peter Thiel, who bankrolled his campaign.
Kelly, a former U.S. Navy pilot-turned-astronaut embarked on his political journey in 2020 when he finished out late Senator John McCain's term.
Kelly is the husband of former Arizona congresswoman Gabby Giffords. She was shot during a political event in Tucson in 2012 and suffered a severe brain injury. The incident prompted Giffords and Kelly to become gun control advocates in the following years.
ABC15 spoke with Sen. Kelly ahead of Election Day and touched on a number of topics.
During his run for re-election, Kelly has made protecting abortion rights a central talking point.
When it comes to immigration, Kelly showed he is not afraid to go against his party. He stood up to President Joe Biden about needing to have a plan in place before ending Title 42.
In tackling the water crisis, Kelly says Arizona has done its share and continues calling on other Colorado River Basin states to do the same.
Mark Kelly released the following statement on his victory:
“Thank you to the people of Arizona for re-electing me to the United States Senate. From day one, this campaign has been about the many Arizonans - Democrats, Independents, and Republicans - who believe in working together to tackle the significant challenges we face. That’s exactly what I’ve done in my first two years in office and what I will continue to do for as long as I’m there. It’s been one of the great honors of my life to serve as Arizona’s Senator. I’m humbled by the trust our state has placed in me to continue this work.”
Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee Chairman Senator Gary Peters issued the following statement on Senator Mark Kelly’s victory in Arizona:
“Congratulations to Senator Mark Kelly on his victory. Mark’s life has been defined by service – as a combat pilot in the Navy, an astronaut with NASA, and now in the U.S. Senate. Arizona voters stood with Mark because he cuts through the political noise, solves problems and delivers results, no matter how difficult the mission. Arizona’s working families, and our country, will continue to be better off with Mark’s independent voice in the Senate.”
Arizona senior Senator Kyrsten Sinema released the following statement on Mark Kelly’s successful reelection to the U.S. Senate:
“Arizonans once again chose independent leadership over partisan politics in reelecting Mark Kelly to the U.S. Senate. I congratulate Mark on his victory, and I look forward to continuing to partner with him as we put Arizona first and deliver for Arizonans in the Senate.”
