Mark Kelly talks about his new senate term and other issues

Mark Kelly won the Arizona Senate Race, putting Democrats a seat from control. Kelly, who ran as a bipartisan legislator devoted to the needs of Arizona, defeated Blake Masters, a Republican newcomer whose ideological fervor failed to win over enough independent voters.

“Elections are about choices. I have served in the United States Senate now for just over two years. Leading up to the election, we go into the campaign mode, and even before that. For two years I’ve spent the time traveling around Arizona, often in the little airplanes, listening to people about the issues that are facing them and their families,” Kelly said.

According to Kelly, he has heard these various issues, taken them back to Washington and delivered for Arizona citizens.

“I feel like I’ve worked incredibly hard and I think the folks of Arizona realize that and felt it was the right thing to do to send me back to Washington for a full term in the U.S. Senate,” Kelly said.

Concerning issues surrounding Arizona’s border, “a lot needs to be done,” Kelly said.

Kelly has been working on a plan with his Republican and Democrat colleagues that includes technology, border security, and potentially more border patrol agents. They are also working on programs that will help with the workforce and easier pathways for DREAMers to get citizenship.

“I spoke to the president about this specific issue as we traveled to Arizona together about the border, and that we are going to need to continue to work together to solve these problems. I’ve taken some steps to close some of the gaps in the wall South of Yuma,” Kelly said.

Kelly said Arizona’s border issues are very important and that Arizona can benefit from being a border state. He focuses on them every day while in Washington, he said.