PHOENIX — Senator Mark Kelly has won his race for reelection and will continue to represent Arizona in the United States Congress, according to the Associated Press.
The announcement comes after several days of ballot counts and ballot drops by election officials. Kelly had maintained a slight lead over Blake Masters throughout the ballot-counting process.
Kelly, a Democrat, defeated Blake Masters who had the endorsement of former President Donald Trump. Masters was the Republican nominee and spent most of his career working for billionaire Peter Thiel, who bankrolled his campaign.
Kelly, a former U.S. Navy pilot-turned-astronaut embarked on his political journey in 2020 when he finished out late Senator John McCain’s term.
Kelly is the husband of former Arizona congresswoman Gabby Giffords. She was shot during a political event in Tucson in 2012 and suffered a severe brain injury. The incident prompted Giffords and Kelly to become gun control advocates in the following years.