Sen Kelly takes questions during a campaign stop.
By Ronald J. Hansen || Arizona Republic
Sen. Mark Kelly has voted with the Democratic leader of the Senate nearly every time during his two years in office but maintains he has shown independence of his party and President Joe Biden in that time.
Holding the mantle of a moderate could give Kelly, D-Ariz., an edge in his bid to win a full, six-year term, and complicate Republican efforts to retake the Senate in the few races that could change the evenly divided chamber.
In a 20-minute interview with The Arizona Republic, Kelly blamed rising prices on gouging by the oil and gas industry and not on Democrat-led government spending he has supported, and he defended his decision to scrap the legislative filibuster for voting rights while leaving unclear what other exceptions he might consider.
Kelly didn’t mention by name his Republican opponent, Blake Masters, but suggested their differences on abortion rights could define them both.
Kelly, one of the best funded senators seeking reelection, figures to have the resources to push out a message on all fronts that he is his own man in a Washington, D.C., gripped by partisanship.
On his campaign website, Kelly says Arizonans deserve independent leadership. In one of his ubiquitous ads, Kelly describes his agenda, then says, “These aren’t Democratic priorities or Republican priorities. These are Arizona priorities and we’re getting them done.”
Independence, sometimes, is in the eye of the beholder.
U.S. Senate race: Kelly, Masters answer Republic questions about policy
