Washington DC(Washington Insider Magazine) – Mark Edward Kelly was born and brought up in the City of Orange, New Jersey, United State. Mark served as a U.S. Navy captain for many years. He is also a successful businessman and politician who has served as the junior United States senator from Arizona since 2020.
As a member of the Democratic Party, Mark Kelly was elected in the special election after the death of Senator John McCain. He defeated the incumbent Republican Martha McSally. Kelly has been in space missions STS-134, STS-121, STS-108, and STS-124.
Mark Kelly Biography
Mark Edward Kelly is a former American astronaut, U.S. Navy captain, businessman, and politician. He served as the junior United States senator from Arizona. Kelly is of Irish descent and was born on February 21, 1964, in Orange, New Jersey. He was raised in West Orange, New Jersey. Mark Kelly’s parents’ names are Patricia Kelly and Richard Kelly.
He is the son of Richard and Patricia (née McAvoy) who are retired police officers. Kelly graduated from Mountain High School in 1982. The politician received a Bachelor of Science degree in marine engineering and nautical science from the United States Merchant Marine Academy. He graduated with the highest honors in 1986. In 1994, Kelly received his Master of Science in aeronautical engineering from the U.S. Naval Postgraduate School.
Mark Kelly Age
Mark Kelly was born on February 21, 1964, in the City of Orange, New Jersey, United States. Kelly celebrated his 58th birthday in 2022.
Personal Life
The 58-year-old politician, Mark Kelly married twice in his life. He got married to Amelia Victoria Babis in 19889. The marriage could not last forever as the couple broke up in 2004). Kelly got married to Gabby Giffords in 2007 and the couple is still very much together.
Mark Kelly has two children with his first wife, Amelia Victoria Babis. His children’s names are Claudia Kelly and Claire Kelly. Mark’s parents Patricia Kelly and Richard Kelly worked as police officers. Both of them are now retired and not much is known about their present life.
There are no details revealed about his siblings either. Mark likes to keep his private life under wraps. He wishes to stay away from the public eye. He doesn’t share his everyday life with his spectators because he is not active on any social media platforms.
Net Worth
Mark Kelly has an estimated net worth of $20 million. His income comes from his career as a businessman, astronaut, and politician. He continues to serve as a politician which indicated that his net worth will see a rise in the coming years. Kelly also runs a successful business and his various business ventures also contribute to his net worth.
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Career
Mark Kelly is a former astronaut and spend many years of his life in this field. He flew combat missions during the Gulf War and served as a naval aviator. He was later selected as a NASA Space Shuttle pilot. Kelly first flew the first space mission in 2001 as a pilot of STS-108. He later piloted STS-121 in 2006 and commanded STS-124 in 2008 and STS-134 in 2011. Mark went on his final mission of Space Shuttle Endeavour in 2011.
After retirement, Mark joined politics. He is a member of the Democratic Party. Mark was elected in the special election after the death of Senator John McCain. He defeated Republican Martha McSally and won the seat.
In January 2013, Kelly and Giffords started a political action committee. The mission of this organization is to promote solutions to gun violence. The elected officials and the general public appreciated this movement. The couple stated:
“keeping guns out of the hands of dangerous people like criminals, terrorists, and the mentally ill. The group claimed that “current gun laws allow private sellers to sell guns without a background check, creating a loophole that provides criminals and the mentally ill easy access to guns”.
Kelly said, “any bill that does not include a universal background check is a mistake. It’s the most common-sense thing we can do to prevent criminals and the mentally ill from having access to weapons.
As a candidate in 2020, Kelly endorsed Planned Parenthood. He also supported codifying Roe v. Wade into federal law. Kelly also voiced an opinion for climate action and does not support Green New Deal.
Kelly became is an advocate for gun control after the attempted assassination of his wife, former U.S. Representative Gabby Giffords, at the 2011 Tucson shooting. He also supported building an Affordable Care Act that includes the public health insurance option.
