Retired astronaut Mark Kelly kicking off Arizona Senate race

TUCSON, Ariz. — Retired astronaut Mark Kelly is kicking off his U.S. Senate campaign Saturday with a rally in Tucson, the city where his wife, Gabrielle Giffords, survived a shooting when she was a congresswoman. That attack in 2011 led Kelly to leave NASA and become a political activist, pushing for gun control.

Kelly, who has never held elected office, is the first Democrat to enter the 2020 race. The seat is now held by Republican Martha McSally, a former congresswoman and Air Force pilot who was appointed by Arizona's GOP governor after longtime GOP Sen. John McCain died.

Next year's election will decide who finishes the final two years of McCain's term. It's expected to be closely contested, with Arizona increasingly competitive after decades of Republican dominance.

Kelly planned an appearance a downtown hotel about 9 miles from the grocery store where Giffords was shot in the head and six people died during a constituent event on Jan. 8, 2011.

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