Sen. Mark Kelly of Arizona, one of the “Sedition Six” Democrats who recently produced a video suggesting U.S. military members to ignore President Donald Trump’s lawful orders, is emerging as an early name in discussions about potential presidential contenders for 2028.
The former astronaut has made increasingly frequent appearances on national talk shows, drawing attention after publicly clashing with President Trump over U.S. military strikes in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific, the Washington Times reports.
Democrats applauded Kelly after he criticized Trump’s recent comments suggesting retired military personnel like him could face criminal charges or court-martial for refusing what he called illegal orders from the commander-in-chief.
Kelly — seemingly forgetting Joe Biden’s horrendous four-year term — also called Trump the worst president in American history, while also drawing praise from Democrats for describing Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth as “historically unqualified.”
Kelly, a retired Navy captain and the husband of former gun-violence survivor Rep. Gabby Giffords, has made quiet trips to several early primary states, prompting speculation that he may be exploring a future presidential run.
He also demonstrated significant fundraising ability during his high-profile Senate reelection campaign, the Times reports.
“He looks great on paper,” said Mike Noble, an Arizona-based pollster. “If Kelly is flirting with a presidential run, Arizona voters would say he’s doing it like an engineer, quietly, cautiously with the safety switch on.”
Kelly has long presented himself as a pragmatic problem solver rather than a partisan firebrand, a posture that has kept his national profile relatively low, though he is a reliable vote for his party, including keeping the goverment shut down a record number of days earlier this fall, denying military members paychecks, among other vital government employees.
Some early 2028 Democratic primary polls do not include him, instead highlighting figures such as former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, California Gov. Gavin Newsom and former Vice President Kamala Harris as early front-runners.
Other Democratic names generating more attention include Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro and New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. Sen. Ruben Gallego, Kelly’s fellow Arizona Senate Democrat, has also made visits to early primary states.
Republicans have dismissed the idea that Kelly could emerge as a serious contender for the Democratic presidential nomination, said the Times.
“He has more baggage than a Delta turnstile,” Republican strategist Hogan Gidley said on a recent episode of 2Way. “It’s a lot, and it’s bad, and people in D.C. know it.” He didn’t provide any specifics, however, the Times added.
“Could Kelly be a formidable presidential candidate in the 2028 general election?” Gidley said. “I don’t think he gets to the nomination.”
Arizona-based GOP strategist Barrett Marson said Kelly still needs to prove he is a contender.
“Mark Kelly‘s biggest challenge is keeping this momentum going,” he told the Times. “Donald Trump won’t make him the lead foil every weekly episode of ‘As 2028 Turns.’ So he has to find a way after this controversy blows over to stay relevant.”
Two weeks ago, the Department of War announced that it has opened a formal review into allegations of misconduct involving Kelly following the release of a video in which he and other Democratic lawmakers urged U.S. service members to “refuse illegal orders.”
The Pentagon said it is considering several possible responses, including the option of recalling Kelly — a retired Navy captain — to active duty to face potential court-martial proceedings or other administrative actions under the Uniform Code of Military Justice, Fox News reported.
“This matter will be handled in compliance with military law, ensuring due process and impartiality,” the department said, adding that there will be limited comments about the matter moving forward to protect the integrity of the case.
The department’s statement also emphasized that military retirees remain subject to the Uniform Code of Military Justice and reminded active-duty personnel that “orders are presumed to be lawful” and must be followed.
