Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., gave a two-word answer that set a Maine crowd cheering on Tuesday, when he was asked from the audience whether he might run for president in 2028.
Kelly was campaigning for Troy Jackson, the Democratic nominee for Senate in Maine, and was in the middle of making a point about how the economy has stopped working for young Americans. He described his own background while making the argument.
“I’m the son of two cops who went to public schools and went on to become a Navy pilot and then an astronaut and now a U.S. senator. I was fortunate,” Kelly said.
As he mentioned becoming a senator, someone in the crowd shouted “president.” Kelly responded, “We’ll see” — a reply that drew cheers from the audience.
Kelly is up for re-election to the Senate in 2028 and regularly shows up in surveys of potential Democratic presidential primary contenders, though he typically polls behind better-known figures such as former Vice President Kamala Harris and California Gov. Gavin Newsom.
His national profile has grown in recent months. In November 2025, Kelly appeared in a video with other Democratic lawmakers telling U.S. service members they have a duty to disobey illegal orders, including orders from the executive branch. The video led to a criminal investigation into Kelly and five other Democratic lawmakers, but a federal grand jury declined to indict them in February.
Axios reported last week that Kelly is considering a run for the White House. He told the outlet he plans to decide whether to seek the presidency or another Senate term after the midterms.
Kelly may not have to choose between the two paths. Arizona law allows presidential and vice presidential candidates to simultaneously run for one additional federal office, meaning Kelly could appear on the 2028 Arizona ballot as both a presidential and a Senate candidate. He would not be able to hold both offices if he won both races, but the provision lowers the political risk of a presidential bid by letting him keep his Senate seat in play at the same time.
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