Jack:

My name is Mark Kelly. I’m a retired Navy combat pilot, former space shuttle commander, husband of former Congresswoman Gabby Giffords, and candidate for U.S. Senate in Arizona. 

I’d like to take a few minutes to introduce myself and share a bit more about why I’m running. But before I do, I’m going to ask you to donate $5, $25, whatever you can spare, to help me flip this seat—and take back the Senate.

To be honest with you, Jack, I never expected to be here. Gabby was always the member of Congress in our family. She taught me how important it is to work to improve people’s lives. And after she was nearly killed in a mass-shooting in 2011, she taught me that when we’re faced with challenges, we should fight harder—not give up.

This campaign is the most intimidating thing I’ve done since the first time I walked up to the space shuttle. But our country is facing big challenges right now, and Washington is broken. We need a leader who can push past the party politics and fix the problems facing Arizona families.

So, Jack, can you split a $25 donation between my campaign and Off the Sidelines to help bring real leadership to Washington? It’s people like you who chip in that make this mission possible.

Mitch McConnell is spending millions of dollars to try to defeat me. When I made the decision to reject corporate PAC money, it was a risk. But people like you stepped up by chipping in $10 here and $25 there. Together, we’ve built a campaign powered by you, and I’m proud of that. 

Thank you for your support,

Mark Kelly
Candidate for U.S. Senate, Arizona 

P.S. I met Kirsten Gillibrand when she and Gabby were elected to Congress together. They formed a special bond as two of the few young women in Congress at the time—and I’m so grateful for her continued support. Here’s one of my favorite photos of the three of us, from a few years back: