Mark Kelly
DemocratU.S. Senator, AZ| Age | 62 (b. 1964-02-21) |
| Gender | Male |
| In office since | 2020-12-02 (~5 yrs) |
| Race / ethnicity | White (Irish descent) |
| Religion | Roman Catholic |
| Education | B.S. in Marine Engineering and Nautical Science, U.S. Merchant Marine Academy (1986); M.S. in Aeronautical Engineering, U.S. Naval Postgraduate School (1994) |
| Prior occupation | U.S. Navy naval aviator and test pilot; NASA astronaut (flew 4 Space Shuttle missions); co-founder/strategic advisor of World View Enterprises; author; gun-control advocate (co-founded Americans for Responsible Solutions / Giffords) |
| Military service | Yes: United States Navy (Captain) |
| Birthplace | Orange, New Jersey |
| Marital status | Married — Gabrielle "Gabby" Giffords |
| Children | 2 |
| Residence | Tucson, Arizona |
| Notable relatives | Identical twin brother Scott J. Kelly, also a U.S. Navy captain and NASA astronaut; wife Gabrielle Giffords is a former U.S. Representative (AZ-08) |
Pending research: languages · openly lgbtq.
Career & politics
| First elected | 2020 |
| Committees | Armed Services Committee · Select Committee on Intelligence · Environment and Public Works Committee · Special Committee on Aging · Joint Economic Committee |
| Ideology | Widely characterized as a moderate Democrat; ran emphasizing bipartisanship and broke with the Biden administration on immigration/border issues |
| Signature legislation | CHIPS and Science Act of 2022 (chief negotiator; semiconductor manufacturing) · Building Chips in America Act (signed into law) · Sergeant First Class Heath Robinson Honoring our PACT Act of 2022 (veterans exposed to toxins/burn pits) |
Financial
Net worth: disclosed $7,713,015–$33,595,000 (2023) · estimate
| Kelly Qualified Blind Trust (established June 25, 2021) | other · $5,000,001–$25,000,000 · 2023 |
| Mark Kelly Traditional IRA Qualified Blind Trust | other · $1,000,001–$5,000,000 · 2023 |
| Northern Trust bank deposit | other · $500,001–$1,000,000 · 2023 |
| Jackson National Life Insurance | other · $500,001–$1,000,000 · 2023 |
| Gabrielle Giffords Traditional IRA Qualified Blind Trust | other · $500,001–$1,000,000 · 2023 |
| Residential property | real_estate · –$500,000 · 2023 |
Scandals & crimes ledger
resolved — Federal grand jury declines to indict Kelly over "illegal orders" video; DoD censure and demotion blocked by court
In November 2025, Kelly and five other Democratic lawmakers (all military or intelligence veterans) released a video urging U.S. service members to refuse illegal orders. President Trump labeled the video seditious. The Justice Department opened an investigation and sought charges, but a Washington, D.C. federal grand jury refused to indict Kelly and the others on February 11, 2026. Separately, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, citing authority to recall retired service members, initially threatened court-martial, then issued a formal censure and moved to demote Kelly in retirement (reducing his pension). Kelly sued (Kelly v. Hegseth), and on February 12, 2026, Judge Richard J. Leon granted a preliminary injunction blocking the demotion, characterizing the effort as an unprecedented attack on the free-speech rights of retired veterans. Kelly was the target of these actions, not found to have committed misconduct; no criminal charge was filed.