Senator Mark Kelly (D-AZ) was quick to give President Donald Trump credit for securing the deal that could finally end the war in Gaza between Israel and Hamas terrorists.
Kelly sat down with CNN anchor Dana Bash on Sunday&#8217;s broadcast of &#8220;State of the Union&#8221; — when phase one of the deal was already beginning to unfold — and he said that Trump deserved &#8220;a lot of credit&#8221; for setting things in motion to bring about a deal.
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Sen. Mark Kelly on ceasefire deal in Gaza: I think Trump &#8220;should get a lot of credit.&#8221; <a href="https://t.co/iFopebsXTI">pic.twitter.com/iFopebsXTI</a>
— State of the Union (@CNNSOTU) <a href="https://twitter.com/CNNSOTU/status/1977373195628941468?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 12, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&#8220;How much credit does President Trump deserve for this deal?&#8221; Bash asked Kelly to open the conversation.
&#8220;I think he should get a lot of credit. I mean, this was his deal,&#8221; Kelly replied. &#8220;He worked this out. He sent [Middle East Envoy] Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner over to negotiate this. And so far, it’s gone well.&#8221;
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&#8220;Hopefully, the hostages get released here — might not be within 24 hours — but certainly, I think, by Monday. And that’s progress. And now we’re going to have to see what happens next,&#8221; Kelly continued, referencing the moves already being made in Gaza to see the last of the hostages released.
He went on to say that he hoped to see the rest of the deal come to pass as promised, with other nations in the surrounding area stepping up to help Gaza rebuild.
&#8220;You know, my hope is the Saudis, the Emiratis, they step up and they do what they said they would do, which is invest in rebuilding Gaza, which 90 percent of the homes have been destroyed. It is such a tragic situation,&#8221; he said. &#8220;It’s good to see these 600 aid trucks. That should have been happening over the last two years. You know, feed people who just are starving and struggling.&#8221;
Just hours after Kelly&#8217;s interview, President Donald Trump took off in Air Force One, heading to Israel to greet the living hostages who are expected to be released in the coming hours.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Air Force One is officially WHEELS UP to Israel — where President Trump is expected to land at about 2:20 AM Eastern Time 🛫🇺🇸🇮🇱 <a href="https://t.co/k2fO6hEQaT">pic.twitter.com/k2fO6hEQaT</a>
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1977477653998317618?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 12, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Mark Kelly

‘He Worked This Out’: Senate Dem Admits Trump Deserves ‘A Lot Of Credit’ For Gaza Deal

'He Worked This Out': Senate Dem Admits Trump Deserves 'A Lot Of Credit' For Gaza Deal

Donald Trump

Gaza

Hamas

Israel

Media

Politics

Sen. <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/mark-kelly" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mark Kelly</a> (D-AZ), whose state has been at the forefront of former President Joe Biden&#8217;s illegal immigration crisis, signaled over the weekend that he does not support President Donald Trump deporting illegal aliens back to their home countries.
Kelly made the remarks during an NBC News interview on Sunday on &#8220;Meet The Press&#8221; when asked about ICE agents carrying out routine immigration raids.
&#8220;Do you support what you are seeing so far, the deportation plan, as it&#8217;s been carried out by the president?&#8221; asked host Kristen Welker.
&#8220;Yeah, I don&#8217;t,&#8221; Kelly said. &#8220;For a number of reasons. It seems to be more about intimidation of a big population of people. It&#8217;s going down the road of mass deportation, which he said he would do, which would rip communities apart. These are really bad ideas.&#8221;
&#8220;It&#8217;s all about scaring and intimidating people,&#8221; he said. &#8220;It&#8217;s the same thing for Guantanamo Bay. Building a facility there is because it just sounds very frightening to a lot of folks. When you&#8217;re a criminal, we need to find where you are and we need to take you into custody, and if you&#8217;re not documented, you should be returned. That makes sense. I&#8217;m all about public safety and border security. But we&#8217;ve got to do it in a way in accordance with our values.&#8221;
<iframe loading="lazy" title="Sen. Mark Kelly says Trump’s mass deportation plans will ‘rip communities apart’: Full interview" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/LwPbHhB5LLE?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Democratic Senate Candidate Mark Kelly Holds Election Night Event In Tucson

Democrat Senator Mark Kelly: Deporting Illegal Aliens A ‘Really Bad Idea’

Arizona

Deportations

Illegal Immigration

Sen. Mark Kelly (D-AZ) said that communist China needs to be punished for its massive cyberattack on U.S. telecommunications companies.
Kelly made the remarks during a Sunday interview on CBS News&#8217; &#8220;Face The Nation&#8221; with Margaret Brennan when asked what the consequences need to be with China.
&#8220;We&#8217;ve got to be strong in standing up to them and explaining to them, and in some cases, I think consequences need to be serious,&#8221; he said. &#8220;There are things that we can do, we have the tools. But I would say, even beyond that, we&#8217;ve got to figure out a way to get them off of the infrastructure.&#8221;
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&#8220;With regards to the telecom system, multiple companies, you know, Chinese cyber software are currently on those systems, and we&#8217;re working to try to fix this,&#8221; he added. &#8220;Some of this is going to require that the- the telecom companies upgrade their infrastructure. That could be costly. We&#8217;re currently working with them to do that.&#8221;
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">
There could be &#8220;a disruption in the service&#8221; of TikTok in the U.S. when the ban put into law goes into effect on January 19, unless the Supreme Court intervenes, says Sen. Mark Kelly (D-AZ).
He says he knows the ban is &#8220;controversial,&#8221; but TikTok &#8220;has a national security risk to… <a href="https://t.co/y3LWgIE8gI">pic.twitter.com/y3LWgIE8gI</a>
— Face The Nation (@FaceTheNation) <a href="https://twitter.com/FaceTheNation/status/1878491501078212889?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 12, 2025</a></blockquote>
On the issue of TikTok, the Chinese-owned social media app, Kelly said that app will likely go dark starting next weekend.
&#8220;Based on the oral argument in the case two days ago, it looks like the Supreme Court- I mean, I don&#8217;t really want to speculate, but it does look like they&#8217;re going to uphold the law that we passed,&#8221; Kelly said. &#8220;So, I think on the 19th, so one day before- before the inauguration, you know, TikTok on our systems, on our servers, becomes something that&#8217;s now been banned by Congress.&#8221;
&#8220;So I imagine there&#8217;s going to be a disruption in the service here, you know, starting on the 19th,&#8221; he continued. &#8220;I know this is controversial. I know there are folks out there that earn a living, you know, on Tiktok, but it has a national security risk to it. You know, one is the data, one of the risks. The thing that I&#8217;m more concerned about is their ability to manipulate the- the population of the United States, especially in time of a conflict. So it was the right decision. I voted for it. And it looks like the Supreme Court is going to uphold the legislation that we passed.&#8221;
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">
There could be &#8220;a disruption in the service&#8221; of TikTok in the U.S. when the ban put into law goes into effect on January 19, unless the Supreme Court intervenes, says Sen. Mark Kelly (D-AZ).
He says he knows the ban is &#8220;controversial,&#8221; but TikTok &#8220;has a national security risk to… <a href="https://t.co/y3LWgIE8gI">pic.twitter.com/y3LWgIE8gI</a>
— Face The Nation (@FaceTheNation) <a href="https://twitter.com/FaceTheNation/status/1878491501078212889?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 12, 2025</a></blockquote>

Senator Kelly: ‘Serious Consequences’ Needed For China’s Hack

Communist China

TikTok

The Democrats who did not make the cut in the veepstakes spoke out on Tuesday after Vice President <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/kamala-harris" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Kamala Harris</a> picked Minnesota Governor Tim Walz <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/harris-expected-to-tap-minnesota-governor-tim-walz-as-running-mate?topStoryPosition=1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">to be her running mate</a>.
Walz edged out Pennsylvania Governor <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/josh-shapiro" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Josh Shapiro</a>, Kentucky Governor <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/andy-beshear" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Andy Beshear</a>, Sen. <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/mark-kelly" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mark Kelly</a> (D-AZ), and Transportation Secretary <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/pete-buttigieg" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Pete Buttigieg</a> to join Harris&#8217; ticket. Walz and Shapiro were reportedly the final two frontrunners.
In a lengthy <a href="https://x.com/JoshShapiroPA/status/1820827281658446166" target="_blank" rel="noopener">statement</a>, Shapiro said he had the opportunity to speak to the vice president on Sunday about her &#8220;vision for the role and the campaign ahead.&#8221; After noting that the choice of running mate was a &#8221; deeply personal decision&#8221; for himself and Harris, Shapiro said he still has work to do while serving as Pennsylvania&#8217;s governor.
&#8220;I know that Governor Tim Walz is an exceptionally strong addition to the ticket who will help Kamala move our country forward. Lori and I consider Tim and Gwen to be good friends of ours and we are excited for them and for the country to get to know the great people we know them to be,&#8221; Shapiro said.
Shapiro, who insisted that Harris has his &#8220;enthusiastic support,&#8221; concluded, &#8220;Over the next 90 days, I look forward to traveling all across the Commonwealth to unite Pennsylvanians behind Kamala Harris’ campaign to defeat Donald Trump, become the 47th President of the United States, and build a better future for our country.&#8221;
<a href="http://www.amiracist.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://www.amiracist.com/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1722714742764000&amp;usg=AOvVaw1XzmEsRwzti1RFNuISwYgd">WATCH THE TRAILER FOR ‘AM I RACIST?’ — A MATT WALSH COMEDY ON DEI</a>
Harris and Walz are expected to make their <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/tim-walz-vp-kamala-harris-running-mate-2024/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">first appearance</a> together as running mates in Philadelphia later on Tuesday. Shapiro indicated he would be in attendance, <a href="https://x.com/JoshShapiroPA/status/1820827281658446166" target="_blank" rel="noopener">saying on X</a>, &#8220;See you tonight in Philly.&#8221;
Beshear <a href="https://x.com/AndyBeshearKY/status/1820834225014047045" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> on X that it was an &#8220;honor&#8221; to be considered in the process. Walz &#8220;is a great friend and a great choice,&#8221; Beshear said, adding that he &#8220;fully&#8221; supports the ticket and will work to get Harris elected president.
Also on X, Kelly <a href="https://x.com/CaptMarkKelly/status/1820831959347798381" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> Harris and Walz &#8220;are going to move us forward&#8221; and are &#8220;already building a campaign to unite our country.&#8221; Kelly added that he and his wife, Gabby Giffords, are &#8220;ready to do everything we can to help them win.&#8221;
Like Kelly, Buttigieg did not mention the vetting process in his first public statement about the Harris-Walz ticket.
He <a href="https://x.com/PeteButtigieg/status/1820829039189258412" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> on X, &#8220;Tim Walz is an exceptionally effective governor &#8211; and also great to work with. I’m excited for what his Midwestern voice, military experience, and common-sense values will bring to our winning ticket, and for everything the Harris-Walz administration will deliver for Americans.&#8221;

Josh Shapiro, governor of Pennsylvania

Josh Shapiro And Other VP Contenders React to Harris-Walz Ticket

2024 Election

Andy Beshear

Democrats

Elections

Josh Shapiro

Kamala Harris

Pete Buttigieg

Tim Walz

Vice President <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/kamala-harris" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Kamala Harris</a> is reportedly considering several Democrats across the country to be her vice presidential running mate after she announced her campaign on Sunday and effectively locked up the nomination within 24 hours.
Harris launched her campaign after President Joe Biden announced on Sunday that he was ending his failing reelection campaign. Harris, 59, ran for president in 2020 but was forced out of the Democrats&#8217; primary before any voting happened because voters were not interested in her.
Harris&#8217; campaign has reportedly requested vetting materials on several candidates, including North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper, Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro, Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, and Sen. Mark Kelly (D-AZ), according to The Wall Street Journal.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Harris&#8217; campaign has requested vetting materials from potential VPs, including Cooper (NC), Kelly (AZ), Shapiro (PA), Whitmer (MI), Walz (MN) + Pritzker (IL), according to a person familiar. Beshear told CNN he hasn&#8217;t been asked to submit info at this point.
— Ken Thomas (@KThomasDC) <a href="https://twitter.com/KThomasDC/status/1815556874063790575?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 23, 2024</a></blockquote>
One name that is being mentioned a lot is Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear, a Democrat governor in a red state who won reelection last year.
Beshear told CNN that he has not been asked to submit any paperwork to Harris&#8217; campaign and that the only way he would ever consider being someone&#8217;s vice presidential pick &#8220;is if I felt that I could help my people in Kentucky more in a different role or that there was a chance to move past the partisanship, the constant fighting.&#8221;
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/show/scamala-kamala-harris-unmasked" target="_blank" rel="noopener">WATCH BEN SHAPIRO’S ‘SCAMALA: KAMALA HARRIS UNMASKED’ ON DAILYWIRE+</a>
Other names that are been mentioned included Illinois Governor J. B. Pritzker, Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, Maryland Governor Wes Moore, Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo, California Governor Gavin Newsom, and Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN).
In the first 24 hours of her campaign, Democrats gave $231 million to elect her, including $81 million through the Democrats’ online fundraising platform ActBlue and $150 million from megadonors to Future Forward, the super PAC that was blessed by Biden that will now back Harris.

US-VOTE-POLITICS-HARRIS

Several Names Emerge As Top Candidates Kamala Harris Is Considering For VP

Gretchen Whitmer

Joe Biden

<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/mark-kelly" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sen. Mark Kelly</a> (D-AZ) refused to back Sen. <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/kyrsten-sinema" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Kyrsten Sinema</a> (I-AZ) over the weekend when asked about her leaving the Democratic Party late last year.
Kelly was asked about Sinema during a Sunday interview on CNN&#8217;s &#8220;State of the Union&#8221; with Jake Tapper.
Tapper mentioned how Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) indicated that he believes Sinema needed to be supported because of her &#8220;independent spirit.&#8221;
&#8220;Do you agree with him?&#8221; Tapper asked. &#8220;Or do you anticipate supporting whoever the Democratic nominee for that Senate seat would be?&#8221;
&#8220;Well, I&#8217;m not going to get ahead of Senator Sinema. She hasn&#8217;t made an announcement,&#8221; Kelly responded. &#8220;What she has said is, she doesn&#8217;t want to be focused on politics right now. I have worked with her very closely over the last two years, I mean, really in a very positive way. She&#8217;s very effective in the United States Senate. We have got a lot done. And I look forward to doing that over the next months and the rest of this year.&#8221;
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Arizona Democrat Senator Mark Kelly says nice things about his &quot;independent&quot; fellow Arizona Senator Kyrsten Sinema — but won&#39;t say if he&#39;ll back her for re-election in 2024. <a href="https://t.co/kSayDDpn4d">pic.twitter.com/kSayDDpn4d</a>
&mdash; RNC Research (@RNCResearch) <a href="https://twitter.com/RNCResearch/status/1637453014993698817?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 19, 2023</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
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TRANSCRIPT:
<blockquote>JAKE TAPPER, CNN HOST: Lastly, sir, your fellow Arizona Senator, independent Senator Kyrsten Sinema, her term ends in 2024.
Your fellow Democratic Senator Joe Manchin said on the show that &#8212; quote &#8212; &#8220;I would think that she needs to be supported again, yes,&#8221; because of her &#8212; quote &#8212; &#8220;independent spirit&#8221; &#8212; unquote.
Do you agree with him? Or do you anticipate supporting whoever the Democratic nominee for that Senate seat would be?
SEN. MARK KELLY (D-AZ): Well, I&#8217;m not going to get ahead of Senator Sinema. She hasn&#8217;t made an announcement.
What she has said is, she doesn&#8217;t want to be focused on politics right now. I have worked with her very closely over the last two years, I mean, really in a very positive way. She&#8217;s very effective in the United States Senate. We have got a lot done. And I look forward to doing that over the next months and the rest of this year.</blockquote>
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/top-democratic-advisor-explains-why-sinema-left-party-and-why-it-might-backfire-anyway" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Top Democratic Advisor Explains Why Sinema Left Party, And Why It Might Backfire Anyway</a>

Senator Mark Kelly Does Not Get Behind Senator Kyrsten Sinema When Asked About Re-Election

Kyrsten Sinema

<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/twitter">Twitter</a> CEO Elon Musk slammed Scott Kelly, astronaut and the brother of Sen. Mark Kelly (D-AZ) in a tweet Sunday evening after Kelly called out the 51-year-old executive over mocking the use of pronouns.
&#8220;Elon, please don’t mock and promote hate toward already marginalized and at-risk-of-violence members of the #LGBTQ+ community,&#8221; Kelly tweeted. &#8220;They are real people with real feelings. Furthermore, Dr Fauci is a dedicated public servant whose sole motivation was saving lives.&#8221;
Musk responded, &#8220;I strongly disagree. Forcing your pronouns upon others when they didn’t ask, and implicitly ostracizing those who don’t, is neither good nor kind to anyone.&#8221;
&#8220;As for Fauci, he lied to Congress and funded gain-of-function research that killed millions of people,&#8221; Musk added. &#8220;Not awesome imo.&#8221;
Kelly&#8217;s comments were in response to a tweet that Musk posted early Sunday morning, in which he stated, &#8220;My pronouns are Prosecute/Fauci,&#8221; an hour after another tweet warning that things were about to “get spicy.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
I strongly disagree. Forcing your pronouns upon others when they didn’t ask, and implicitly ostracizing those who don’t, is neither good nor kind to anyone.
As for Fauci, he lied to Congress and funded gain-of-function research that killed millions of people. Not awesome imo.
&mdash; Elon Musk (@elonmusk) <a href="https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1602113254360162304?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 12, 2022</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Musk’s latest tweets could suggest damning information might soon be revealed about Fauci, the government virologist whose advice set COVID policies — including school lockdowns, economic shutdowns, and mask and vaccine mandates — under two administrations.
Fauci’s defenders have elevated him to god-like status over the last three years, with yard signs saying “In Fauci We Trust” and votive candles bearing his image. But a growing chorus of critics blame the octogenarian head of the National Institute of Infectious Diseases and current chief medical adviser to President Joe Biden for blocking investigation into the possibility that <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/breaking-biden-admin-shut-down-probe-launched-during-trump-era-to-examine-wuhan-lab-leak-theory-report-says/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">COVID leaked from a Chinese lab,</a> where his office had funded dangerous bat virus research, as well as his heavy-handed advice to close schools and businesses during the pandemic.
Fauci is scheduled to retire sometime this month, although Republicans in the House and Senate have vowed to investigate his potential role in the pandemic, which has so far killed more than six million people around the world.
Musk also tweeted out this photo of Fauci and Biden:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
<a href="https://t.co/yhEOieaGER">pic.twitter.com/yhEOieaGER</a>
&mdash; Elon Musk (@elonmusk) <a href="https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1601884478745374720?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 11, 2022</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
A previous version of this story incorrectly referred to Scott Kelly as his brother, Mark Kelly. It has been corrected.

Elon Musk and Twitter

Elon Musk Nukes Scott Kelly Over Wokeness And Dr. Fauci

Elon Musk

Gender Identity

Gender Pronouns

Social Issues

U.S.

Sen. Mark <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/mark-kelly" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Kelly</a> (D-AZ) said during an <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2022/11/21/mark-kelly-interview-border-bipartisanship-strong-gop/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">interview</a> with the Washington Post that members of his party are &#8220;not even close&#8221; to understanding the problems on the U.S. southern <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/southern-border" target="_blank" rel="noopener">border</a>.
&#8220;Absolutely not. Not even close,&#8221; the incumbent senator said when asked if members of his party understood &#8220;the complexity of the issue and the frustrations that people have.&#8221;
&#8220;When I first got to Washington, it didn’t take me long to realize that there are a lot of Democrats who don’t understand our southern border and a lot of Republicans who just want to talk about it. Don’t necessarily want to do anything about it, just want to use it politically. So my approach has been — to the extent that we could and can — to make progress on securing it, but also doing it in a way that’s in accordance with our ethics and our values, not to demonize people,&#8221; Kelly added.
In the interview published Monday, Kelly advocated a middle-of-the-road approach to border issues, saying he wants to secure the border but not in a way that would &#8220;demonize people.&#8221; He did not elaborate much further on how he would secure the border beyond, &#8220;We have to do more in border security. We have to do more in comprehensive immigration reform, especially &#8216;dreamers,&#8217; but also these visa programs. If you’re a farmer, especially in Southern Arizona, despite having a ready supply of eager workers, you don’t have the visas available and it’s a problem for them.&#8221;
The Department of Homeland Security recently <a href="https://www.fox4news.com/news/gov-greg-abbott-invokes-invasion-clauses-in-border-security-push">reported</a> that nearly 2.4 million immigrants had been detained on the U.S. southern border during the fiscal year ending in September. That number represented a 37% increase from the previous fiscal year. Additionally, Customs and Border Protection <a href="https://www.cbp.gov/newsroom/stats/southwest-land-border-encounters">announced</a> over 230,000 encounters with migrants at the southern border during October alone.
Last week, a federal judge in Washington, D.C., <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/federal-judge-blocks-use-of-title-42-to-expel-migrants-at-border">blocked</a> the further use of Title 42, which allows the government to deport migrants from the border in the interest of public health. Title 42 had been activated during the Trump administration to expel migrants entering the country during the COVID pandemic.
Kelly first entered the Senate after defeating Republican candidate Martha McSally in the race for the open Arizona seat previously held by the late John McCain. The senator is <a href="http://dailywire.com/news/breaking-democrat-incumbent-mark-kelly-defeats-republican-blake-masters-in-arizona-senate-race-projection">projected</a> to win his first full term after defeating Republican candidate Blake Masters by almost five points in the recent midterm election.
Compared to many others in the Democratic Party, Kelly has taken a relatively moderate stance on the border. He <a href="https://www.kelly.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/sen-kelly-and-colleagues-introduce-bipartisan-bill-to-raise-border-patrol-pay-create-border-patrol-reserve/">teamed</a> up with retiring Republican Ohio Sen. Rob Portman, fellow Democratic Arizona Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, and Republican Oklahoma Sen. James Lankford back in August to introduce a bill that would raise Border Patrol agents&#8217; pay as well as create a 2,500-agent border reserve force.
Kelly has also expressed his support for a pathway to citizenship for those protected under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), also known as &#8220;Dreamers.&#8221;
&#8220;DACA needs to be protected. But it doesn’t change the fact that Congress must act to provide Dreamers with the certainty of a clear pathway to citizenship,&#8221; Kelly <a href="https://twitter.com/senmarkkelly/status/1442561227008393224">tweeted</a> in September 2021.

Photo by Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images

Sen. Mark Kelly Warns Democrats ‘Absolutely’ Do Not Understand Border Issues

Sen. Mark Kelly Warns Democrats 'Absolutely' Do Not Understand Border Issues

Immigration

Democratic incumbent Senator Mark Kelly has been <a href="https://results.decisiondeskhq.com/2022/general/states/Arizona" target="_blank" rel="noopener">declared</a> the winner of the Arizona Senate race, according to Decision Desk, besting Republican candidate Blake Masters, 51.78% to 46.1%.
The winner was projected late Friday evening after a lengthy ballot count in which Masters trailed Kelly consistently.
On Saturday morning, Masters tweeted that “every legal vote” should be counted, indicating that despite the race being called by multiple outlets, he doesn’t view this as the end.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<a href="https://t.co/XVbq4WU4nj">pic.twitter.com/XVbq4WU4nj</a>
— Blake Masters (@bgmasters) <a href="https://twitter.com/bgmasters/status/1591475417646596109?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 12, 2022</a></blockquote>
The battle to represent Arizona in the Senate was a closely watched race, as it was widely seen as a key battleground in determining control of the Senate. Kelly was one of the best funded candidates of the 2022 cycle, having <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/politico-election-forecaster-shifts-az-senate-to-toss-up-after-late-blake-masters-rally" target="_blank" rel="noopener">raised</a> over $70 million over the course of the campaign. Masters’ campaign was hampered in the general by poor fundraising relative to Kelly’s machine.
Kelly led for the majority of his race for re-election despite significant perceived headwinds for Democrats. In 2022, Democrats across the country faced poor approval ratings relative to Republicans in a number of key election issues, such as inflation, crime, and immigration. Democrats were also burdened with an unpopular Democratic president in the White House.
Kelly tried to blunt Republican criticism of him on those topics by running somewhat as a maverick. Kelly <a href="https://www.kelly.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/news-kelly-rated-among-most-bipartisan-senators-data-reveals/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">touted</a> studies that ranked him as one of the most bipartisan lawmakers in the Senate. He also distanced himself from President Joe Biden, never requesting that Biden come to Arizona to campaign with him and demurring when asked about it by reporters.
Polls tightened between Kelly and Masters in the closing weeks of the race. With one week left until election day, the Libertarian candidate in the race, Marc Victor, announced that he was dropping out and <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/libertarian-candidate-endorses-blake-masters-in-late-shakeup-of-arizona-senate-race" target="_blank" rel="noopener">endorsed</a> Masters. While Victor never polled high, Masters touted the endorsement as a “major boost” in the close race against Kelly.
While Masters trailed Kelly for most of the race, he closed the gap in October. Election forecasters for outlets such as <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/politico-election-forecaster-shifts-az-senate-to-toss-up-after-late-blake-masters-rally" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Politico</a> and <a href="https://www.cookpolitical.com/analysis/senate/arizona-senate/arizona-senate-shifts-back-toss" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Cook Political Report</a> moved the Arizona Senate race from a Democratic-leaning race to a toss-up in response.
Masters won a competitive primary race largely because of the financial backing of tech mogul Peter Thiel and former President Donald Trump’s endorsement. Masters was running third in the GOP primary behind Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich and businessman Jim Lamon until Trump endorsed Masters in early June. Masters then <a href="https://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/2022/senate/az/arizona_senate_republican_primary-7564.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">soared</a> into the top spot until winning the primary in August.
While he projected himself as an “America First” Trump ally in the primary, Masters pivoted in the general to put the spotlight on Kelly. Masters emphasized his conservative stances on immigration and federal spending, while hammering Kelly for voting with Biden <a href="https://projects.fivethirtyeight.com/biden-congress-votes/mark-kelly/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">95%</a> of the time, according to FiveThirtyEight.
Kelly and Masters debated each other one time during the campaign. During the October 6 event, in which Victor also participated, Masters <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/shows-you-what-his-priorities-are-blake-masters-hits-mark-kelly-for-backing-bidens-irs-buildup" target="_blank" rel="noopener">attacked</a> Kelly for his record voting with Biden. Kelly worked to distance himself from the president and claimed that he had secured “$1 billion more” in funding for the U.S. Border Patrol.

Mark Kelly:Blake Masters

Democrat Incumbent Mark Kelly Defeats Republican Blake Masters In Arizona Senate Race: Projection

2022 Midterms

Blake Masters

Republican <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/arizona" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Arizona</a> Senate candidate <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/blake-masters" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Blake Masters</a> has broken into the lead against Democrat Mark Kelly, according to new polls.
A new poll from InsiderAdvantage/Fox 10 News has Masters and Kelly tied. At the same time, the final poll of the cycle from Emerson College showed Masters with a slight lead; another poll from Big Data Poll found another lead for Masters. The polls come amid growing optimism for a Republican wave with just four days to go before the 2022 midterms.
The <a href="https://www.fox10phoenix.com/election/2022-arizona-election-poll-lake-leads-hobbs-in-governors-race-by-3-points-senate-race-tied" target="_blank" rel="noopener">InsiderAdvantage/Fox 10 poll</a> of 550 likely voters, taken on November 2, showed Masters and Kelly tied at 48% apiece. Libertarian candidate Marc Victor, who dropped out of the race and endorsed Masters on November 1, still took 2% of the vote. Another 2% were undecided. InsiderAdvantage pollster Matt Towery told the outlet that Masters garnered support from more voters who identified themselves as independent. But the poll also found Kelly siphoning some 15% of self-identifying Republicans off from Masters.
Meanwhile, an <a href="https://emersoncollegepolling.com/arizona-2022-us-senate-and-gubernatorial-elections-in-dead-heat/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Emerson College poll</a> of 1,000 &#8220;very likely voters,&#8221; conducted from October 30 &#8211; November 1, showed Masters with a slight lead over incumbent Democrat Mark Kelly, 47.8%-47.3%. The poll was taken the day Victor announced he was dropping out; he took 2.8% of the vote. Just under one percent of voters were undecided, 1.3% said they were voting for someone else. Notably, Masters has gained three points since Emerson&#8217;s September poll, while Kelly has stagnated at 47%. Emerson&#8217;s poll found independents voting for Kelly, 50.4%-42.1%, but Masters was not losing as much support from his own party; 9.6% of Republicans said they were voting for Kelly.
Another poll of 1,051 likely voters conducted from October 31 &#8211; November 2 by independent pollster <a href="https://application.marketsight.com/app/ItemView.aspx?SharedFor=public%40bigdatapoll.com&amp;SharedBy=34090&amp;id=cbb3bec7-3bd2-4783-8cc8-af43012f99ec" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Big Data Poll</a> found Masters with a lead of just over a full percentage point over Kelly, 48.7%-47.5%. Victor took 1.9% of the vote, and another 1.9% were undecided. Big Data Poll also found Kelly leading with independents, 47% to 44.2%; but again, Kelly siphoned fewer Republican voters away from Masters, just 8.6%. Big Data Poll Director Richard Baris explained on his podcast, &#8220;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D6apHZSo96c&amp;t=1760s" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Inside the Numbers</a>,&#8221; that Masters&#8217; lead came from his small lead in Maricopa County, a solid support buffer in Pima County, senior citizens who did not buy Kelly&#8217;s rhetoric on Social Security, and inroads Masters has made with Hispanic voters, despite trailing slightly, 48.8% to 46.9%. He also speculated that Victor dropping out and endorsing Masters could be pivotal, since his supporters would favor Masters. &#8220;It&#8217;s an incredibly close race,&#8221; Baris said.
Victor dropped out and endorsed Masters on November 1. “At my invitation, Blake Masters and I had an unscripted, open, and recorded discussion and exchange of ideas on a variety of issues,&#8221; Victor said in a statement, via the Arizona Republic. &#8220;After that discussion, I believe it is in the best interests of freedom and peace to withdraw my candidacy and enthusiastically support Blake Masters for United States Senate. I intend to assist in any way reasonably possible to elect Blake.”
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/libertarian-candidate-endorses-blake-masters-in-late-shakeup-of-arizona-senate-race" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Victor</a> consistently polled in the single digits throughout the race and was never believed to have a viable shot at winning. His single digit support could prove crucial for Masters in a close race, however. <a href="https://blog.ohpredictive.com/press-releases/ohpi-poll-of-record-close-races-up-and-down-the-ticket-in-arizona" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ohio Predictive Insights</a> released a poll measuring Victor’s support on Monday, pegging it at 3%. The same poll had Kelly and Masters separated by just 2%: 48% to 46%, respectively.
“This is another major boost of momentum as we consolidate our support,” Masters said in a statement to <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/11/01/us/politics/blake-masters-marc-victor-arizona.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The New York Times</a> on Tuesday.
Tim Pearce contributed to this report.

New Polls Show Republican Blake Masters Breaking Into The Lead Against Democrat Mark Kelly In Final Days Before Midterms

Polls

U.S. Senate

Libertarian candidate Marc Victor dropped out of the U.S. Senate race in <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/arizona" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Arizona</a> on Tuesday and endorsed his GOP opponent, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/blake-masters" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Blake Masters</a>.
The late stage shakeup comes a week before the election and has the potential to swing what has become a close race between Masters and incumbent Democratic Sen. <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/mark-kelly" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mark Kelly</a>. Masters has trailed Kelly for most of the race but has closed the gap in the past month. Election forecasters for outlets such as <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/politico-election-forecaster-shifts-az-senate-to-toss-up-after-late-blake-masters-rally" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Politico</a> and <a href="https://www.cookpolitical.com/analysis/senate/arizona-senate/arizona-senate-shifts-back-toss" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Cook Political Report</a> have moved the Arizona Senate race from a Democratic-leaning race to a toss-up in response.
Victor consistently polled in the single digits throughout the race and was never believed to have a viable shot at winning. His single digit support could prove crucial for Masters in a close race, however. <a href="https://blog.ohpredictive.com/press-releases/ohpi-poll-of-record-close-races-up-and-down-the-ticket-in-arizona" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ohio Predictive Insights</a> released the latest poll measuring Victor’s support on Monday, pegging it at 3%. The same poll had Kelly and Masters separated by just 2%: 48% to 46%, respectively.
“This is another major boost of momentum as we consolidate our support,” Masters said in a statement to <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/11/01/us/politics/blake-masters-marc-victor-arizona.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The New York Times</a> on Tuesday.
Victor, who campaigned as the “live and let live” candidate, said in video put out Tuesday morning that he made the decision to endorse Masters after having a conversation with the GOP candidate about his support for the “global peace movement.”
“We talked through many, many issues. We talked about a lot of economic issues, we talked about a lot of civil liberty issues. And while we don’t see eye-to-eye on everything, I feel very confident after that conversation that Blake Masters is going to do everything he possibly can to further the interests of the Live and Let Live Global Peace Movement,” Victor said.
<iframe loading="lazy" title="Marc J. Victor Endorses Blake Masters for U.S. Senate" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ismjOQNzsIA?start=10&#038;feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>
While Kelly has led most polls, he, along with numerous Democrats across the country, has faced significant headwinds heading into the midterms. President Joe Biden’s unpopularity with voters and concerns about inflation and crime have created a hostile election environment for Democrats. To compensate, Kelly has <a href="https://www.kelly.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/news-kelly-rated-among-most-bipartisan-senators-data-reveals/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">touted</a> analyses that name him one of the most bipartisan lawmakers in the Senate.
The Masters campaign has been quick to point out that Kelly has voted with Biden 95% of the time over the past two years, according to an analysis of Kelly’s voting record by <a href="https://projects.fivethirtyeight.com/biden-congress-votes/mark-kelly/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">FiveThirtyEight</a>.

Libertarian Candidate Endorses Blake Masters In Late Shakeup Of Arizona Senate Race

2022 Election

Politico elections forecaster Steven Shepard changed the rating of the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/u-s-senate" target="_blank" rel="noopener">U.S. Senate</a> race in <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/arizona" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Arizona</a> to a “toss up” Wednesday, shifting it away from Democrats less than two weeks away from the election.
Republican <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/blake-masters" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Blake Masters</a> has surged in recent weeks on a wave of support for GOP priorities such as immigration, inflation, and crime. Masters has also been aided by a strong Republican performance in the Arizona gubernatorial race by former television news anchor Kari Lake, according to <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2022/10/27/arizonas-senate-blake-masters-forecast-00063661" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Politico</a>.
Masters is running to oust Democratic Sen. Mark Kelly. Kelly won his seat in a special election in 2020 and is running to secure his first full term in the Senate. Kelly’s campaign has hammered abortion access following the overturning of Roe v. Wade while distancing the senator from President Joe Biden, who threatens to drag down Democrats with his <a href="https://projects.fivethirtyeight.com/biden-approval-rating/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">unpopularity</a>.
Masters has lagged behind Kelly, but polling now shows him within the margin of error. A Trafalgar/Daily Wire <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/hold-exclusive-poll-kari-lake-in-lead-for-arizona-gov-masters-trails-kelly-by-one-point-for-senate" target="_blank" rel="noopener">poll</a> last week put the race within one point. It found Masters trailing Kelly 46% to 47%.
Arizona’s Senate race has joined contests in Georgia, Nevada, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin in Politico’s “toss up” category. The shift strengthens the GOP’s chances of taking control of the U.S. Senate next year. Republicans must score wins in three of the five “toss up” states to gain the majority if every other race goes with the favored candidate, according to Politico.
Kelly has one of the best-funded campaigns in the U.S. He has <a href="https://www.bizjournals.com/phoenix/news/2022/10/18/mark-kelly-fundraising-dwarfs-blake-masters-senate.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">raised</a> well over $70 million for his re-election campaign and had an estimated $13 million on hand at the end of September.
Masters has struggled to raise funds and lagged behind in the money race for the entirety of the campaign. Masters’ largest backer is tech maven Peter Thiel, who backed Masters to the tune of $15 million during the primary. Theil has withheld additional support during the general, though reporting <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2022/10/13/thiel-masters-mcconnell/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">suggests</a> that Thiel plans to spend $5 million in Masters’ race in the final weeks.
Masters has received some help in the final stretch from outside groups and political action committees. Saving Arizona PAC, initially backed by Thiel, has <a href="https://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=61984925ded8da8ce9b4817c50926a1d35433d99a0cddde987b3b91eb800dc356ee1c4e35dd6847e120dad6026023689" target="_blank" rel="noopener">spent</a> roughly $3.7 million on ads. It is unclear whether that additional spending is from money Thiel donated.

Politico Election Forecaster Shifts AZ Senate To ‘Toss Up’ After Late Blake Masters Rally

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