‘NEXT MISSION’

Astronaut Mark Kelly Announces Run for U.S. Senate in Arizona

Gun-control advocate is husband of former Congresswoman Gabby Giffords.

Astronaut Mark Kelly has announced that he’s running in the Democratic primary for the U.S. Senate from Arizona. Kelly, the husband of former Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, logged more than 54 days in space across four missions and piloted the final flight of space shuttle Endeavour. Kelly and Giffords became nationally known following an assassination attempt that almost killed her in January 2011. She and 18 others were shot with six being left dead. In a video announcing his run, Kelly said the shooting made him realize that, when bad things happen, “you’ve got to move ahead and try to make a difference in the world.” He went on to say: “I care about people, I care about the state of Arizona, I care about this nation, and because of that, I’ve decided that I’m launching a campaign for the United States Senate.”