Arizona Sen. Mark Kelly Raises $26 Million in Six Months As 2028 Presidential Speculation Grows

Fundraising Boom

Sen. Mark Kelly raised about $13 million in the first three months of 2026. That is on top of $12.5 million in the previous quarter. The nearly $26 million in six months is nearly five times the typical pace since Kelly won his first six-year term in 2022.

Trump's Impact

The fundraising surge comes after President Donald Trump accused Kelly of sedition last fall. Trump labeled Kelly and five other Democratic military veterans as part of the "seditious six" after they called on military personnel to disobey illegal orders. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth ordered a post-retirement demotion for Kelly, a former combat pilot and astronaut who left the Navy as a captain.

"I am sure that Trump and Hegseth's attacks on Kelly over the video is driving a lot of this fundraising, although Kelly already was a great fundraiser," said Kyle Kondik, managing editor of Sabato's Crystal Ball at the University of Virginia's Center for Politics.

Cash on Hand

As of March 31, Kelly had $22.3 million cash on hand. By comparison, freshman Arizona Sen. Ruben Gallego, also a Democrat, raised $63.8 million winning his seat in 2024.

2028 Considerations

Kelly is not on the ballot this year. But the ongoing momentum with donors has done nothing to dampen the 2028 speculation or limit his options. Under a 2017 Arizona law, Kelly could run for both offices simultaneously.

"I think she felt that since she was such an established figure in D.C., she would be better off if she selected someone outside of D.C., like a governor," Kelly said about Vice President Kamala Harris not selecting him for her 2024 vice presidential ticket.

"I seriously consider" a run, Kelly told BBC in a February 2026 interview.

Donor Response

Time magazine named Kelly one of the "100 most influential people" in its April 2026 issue. He was the only member of Congress to make the "leaders" list.

Glavin said the donations showered on Kelly do not necessarily mean supporters are encouraging him to run for president or even his re-election bid. It is more a way to show displeasure with Trump.

"Right now, this is really detached from his potential 2028 re-election," Glavin said.

But the presidency is on Kelly's mind.

Political Landscape

There is no clear frontrunner in the 2028 Democratic contest. Harris has led in every major poll since January with a rolling average of 27 percent, followed by California Gov. Gavin Newsom and former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg.

Kelly is not listed in those polls, though a Yale Youth Poll published on April 14 found that Democratic voters under 35 view him the second most-electable Democrat, edged out only by Newsom.

"Twenty-five million dollars is not a bad place to start," Brad Bannon, a national Democratic strategist, said about Kelly's cash on hand.