Former Astronaut Mark Kelly, Husband of Gabby Giffords, Releases Powerful Video Announcing Senate Run

Former NASA astronaut Mark Kelly announced on Tuesday that he is running as a Democratic candidate to finish the late John McCain’s final term in the Senate. Watch the remarkable announcement video:

My next mission… #FullSpeedAhead#ForArizonapic.twitter.com/5E36z7aztH

— Mark Kelly (@ShuttleCDRKelly) February 12, 2019

“I care about people. I care about the state of Arizona. I care about this nation. So because of that, I’ve decided that I’m launching a campaign for the United States Senate,” Kelly said in his emotional campaign video. The powerful clip begins with Kelly reminiscing on seeing his first sunrise from space before detailing his family history and the moment that changed everything: a 2011 shooting that left his wife, congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, critically injured.

“I learned a lot from being an astronaut. I learned a lot from being a pilot in the Navy. I learned a lot about solving problems from being an engineer,” Kelly says in the campaign announcement. “But what I learned from my wife is how you use policy to improve people’s lives.”

The announcement also specifies the platform Kelly will run on, with major tenets of that platform including affordable healthcare, the stagnation of wages, job growth and climate change. In an email to his supporters, Kelly further highlighted his plan to reject corporate PAC money and improve gun laws.

His race against Republican Martha McSally will easily be one of the most closely contested Senate races of the 2020 election.

All systems go.