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Midterms 2026 · Report · File No. 261113-498

Kelly says he is 'considering' a 2028 White House run and will decide after the midterms

Arizona Sen. Mark Kelly says he is weighing a presidential bid as Democrats celebrate their midterm gains. The Iran war that Republicans now blame for their losses is a likely 2028 issue.

By the Campaign Desk · · 2 min read

Every quote in this story (2) was matched word for word against its source. How we work

My clippings
Mark Kelly
Mark Kelly. Photo: John Shinkle, U.S. Senate Photographic Services, Public domain

Sen. Mark Kelly, a Democrat from Arizona, says he is seriously thinking about running for president in 2028. He has said he will make up his mind now that the midterm elections are over 2.

Kelly made the remarks on Oct. 28 while campaigning in Maine with Democratic Senate candidate Troy Jackson. Supporters asked him about 2028, and he kept the door open without committing 2.

Mark Kelly
I am thinking about it, I'm considering it
Mark Kelly, U.S. senator, D-Arizona2

He added that he would decide at a time of his choosing 2.

A built-in safety net

Kelly is up for re-election to the Senate in 2028. Arizona law lets a candidate run for president and for one other federal office at the same time 2.

From Channel GOPMark Kelly asks who wanted EPA's pollution rollbackMark Kelly · 273 plays · captioned, with the source named

He has until March 20, 2028, to turn in signatures for the Senate race. That would let him watch how the presidential primaries unfold before deciding 2.

No Democrat has a clear lead. A Deseret News/Hinckley Institute poll put Kelly near the top of a crowded field. About 14% of voters nationally named him one of their top three choices 2.

The Iran war looms over 2028

Any 2028 contender will have to answer for the Iran war. It began in February, when the U.S. and Israel launched joint strikes on Iran. Iran then closed the strait of Hormuz, a key shipping lane, and fuel prices rose around the world 1.

Vice President JD Vance has blamed the war for the Republican losses. After the midterms he wrote on X, the social media site, that the war was why his party lost 1.

JD Vance
The reason we lost is the war
JD Vance, Vice president, R-Ohio1

On Thursday, President Trump said the U.S. no longer needs a deal to end the war. He told Vance to focus instead on what he called corruption and crime in Democratic-run cities and states 1.

The Guardian reported that the move effectively accepts a stalemate. The U.S. keeps a blockade on Iranian ports, and the strait has mostly reopened to ships, including oil tankers. The U.S. has not carried out massive strikes for several months 1.

Kelly's profile with Hegseth

Kelly's national profile has also been shaped by a fight with the Trump administration. A photo caption in the Deseret News story says he pushed back on what it describes as attempts by Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to intimidate him and other lawmakers. The dispute grew out of his concerns about U.S. strikes on suspected drug-smuggling boats in the Caribbean 2.

That matters because a possible candidate who has already clashed with the administration over the use of military force would enter a race shaped by the war. The pattern is that Democrats who talk about 2028 are being asked first about costs and war, not only about party politics. That is analysis, not a quote from Kelly.

Kelly has not said when he will announce a decision. For now, the clearest facts are his own words, the March 2028 signature deadline and an Iran war that even Vance now blames for the losses 12.

The Record

  1. A photo caption dates Kelly's pushback on Trump and Hegseth over strikes on suspected drug boats to this day 2.
  2. Kelly says in Maine he is considering a 2028 run and will decide after the election 2.
  3. Trump says the U.S. does not need an Iran deal and tells Vance to turn to domestic issues 1.
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Sources

  1. The Guardian, “Trump says no deal needed on Iran war and orders Vance to focus on domestic issues” (2026-11-12). theguardian.com/us-news/2026/nov/12/trump-jd-vance-iran-war
  2. Deseret News, “Mark Kelly says he'll make decision on 2028 presidential run after midterms” (2026-10-28). deseret.com/politics/2026/10/28/mark-kelly-make-decision-on-

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