Mark Kelly considers 2028 presidential run as political developments unfold nationwide

Democratic Senator Mark Kelly of Arizona stated Saturday at a Washington, D.C. political conference that he is considering a 2028 presidential run. The 62-year-old former NASA astronaut and Navy combat pilot noted he has had conversations about the idea and plans to continue them. Meanwhile, President Trump claimed on Truth Social that Republican Senator Dan Sullivan has won the Alaska Senate race despite ongoing vote counts. Approximately 74% of votes have been counted, with Democrat Mary Peltola leading Sullivan by over 600 votes, though the total remains below the required 50% majority in Alaska's ranked-choice voting system. In Texas, newly elected Senator James Talarico made his first public appearance since election night by visiting the Houston memorial of Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, a father shot and killed by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer in July. Talarico defeated Republican Ken Paxton to flip the seat for Democrats for the first time since 1988. President Trump also announced he is ordering the Department of Justice to investigate alleged Democratic threats of impeachment against senior Republicans and threats directed at GOP donors, calling the actions extortion. This follows Democratic plans to investigate the administration, including business dealings and immigration enforcement actions, with Representative Robert Garcia naming Stephen Miller as the new chief of staff.

Context

Ranked-choice voting systems in places like Alaska allow voters to rank candidates by preference and redistribute votes in subsequent rounds if no candidate secures an outright majority. Investigations and congressional committee leadership changes frequently follow midterm election cycles as incoming majorities prepare to set legislative and oversight agendas.