Who's Running 2028
General explainer

Is Mark Kelly running for president in 2028?

Mark Kelly has publicly said he is undecided about a 2028 presidential run. The Arizona senator appeared in 8 of the 11 mid-2026 national Democratic primary surveys, ranging from 3 to 9 percent. He confirmed in April 2026 that a bid is under active consideration and is constitutionally eligible.

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Mark Kelly, the U.S. senator from Arizona and former NASA astronaut, has confirmed that a 2028 presidential run is under active consideration. At the Semafor World Economy conference in Washington in April 2026, Kelly said 'I will make a decision about that, and so far I'm undecided' when asked directly about 2028. That public acknowledgment puts him in the possible-candidate tier as of mid-2026.

Kelly appeared in 8 of the 11 mid-2026 national Democratic primary surveys tracked by 2028tracker.com, ranging from 3 to 9 percent. Listed newest first: McLaughlin and Associates (June 17-23 2026, 464 LV): 3 percent; Echelon Insights (June 11-14 2026, 515 LV): 4 percent; Focaldata (May 29-June 1 2026, 685 RV): 5 percent; I and I/TIPP (May 26-28 2026, 593 RV): 4 percent; Big Data Poll (May 24-27 2026, 1,378 LV): 6 percent; Rasmussen Reports (May 18-20 2026, 433 LV): 9 percent; Overton Insights (May 16-20 2026, 661 LV): 4 percent; Echelon Insights (May 14-18 2026, 501 LV): 6 percent. He was not listed in three surveys: Noble Predictive Insights (June 1-4 2026), Harvard-Harris (May 29-31 2026), and Emerson College (May 24-25 2026).

Kelly has a distinctive biography - a retired Navy combat pilot and NASA astronaut who became a prominent gun-control advocate after his wife, former congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, was severely wounded in a 2011 shooting. He won two Senate elections in battleground Arizona, giving him a competitive-state track record that Democrats prize in presidential candidates.

Kelly is constitutionally eligible. He is a natural-born U.S. citizen, is 62 years old as of mid-2026 - well above the constitutional minimum of 35 - and has been a U.S. resident throughout his adult life. No legal bar prevents a presidential candidacy.

A notable ticket-construction constraint applies under the 12th Amendment. Arizona Representative Ruben Gallego is also an Arizona resident. The 12th Amendment bars presidential electors from casting both their presidential and vice-presidential votes for candidates who are residents of the same state as the elector. Arizona has 11 electoral votes and is classified as a Tossup battleground (R 2016, D 2020, R 2024 by Trump +5.5). Any Kelly-Gallego or Gallego-Kelly ticket would put those 11 electoral votes at risk from Arizona electors unable to cast both votes. The standard remedy is for one candidate to re-establish legal residence in another state before the election, following the precedent set when Dick Cheney changed his legal domicile from Texas to Wyoming in 2000 to avoid the same constraint with George W. Bush.

The 2028 Democratic field's most-watched names as of mid-2026 are Gavin Newsom, Pete Buttigieg, Kamala Harris, and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. Kelly's national-security background and swing-state track record could give him a distinct lane in a crowded primary if he enters. No major candidate has formally declared as of mid-2026.

Related: Mark Kelly - full candidate profile | The 2028 Democratic field | 2028 Democratic primary polls | Will Mark Kelly run for president in 2028? | Everything Mark Kelly has said about 2028

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Related questions

Has Mark Kelly said he is running for president in 2028?
He has said he is 'undecided' and will make a decision. In April 2026 at the Semafor World Economy conference he confirmed a 2028 bid is under consideration. He has not filed with the FEC or formally announced.
Is Mark Kelly eligible to run for president in 2028?
Yes. He is a natural-born U.S. citizen, is 62 years old as of mid-2026, and meets all three constitutional requirements: natural-born citizenship, age 35 or older, and 14 years of U.S. residency.
What is Mark Kelly's background?
Kelly is a retired Navy combat pilot and NASA astronaut. He became a prominent gun-control advocate after his wife Gabrielle Giffords was wounded in a 2011 shooting. He has served as a U.S. senator from Arizona since 2020.
What is Mark Kelly's standing in 2028 Democratic primary polls?
Kelly appeared in 8 of the 11 mid-2026 national Democratic primary surveys, ranging from 3 to 9 percent. His peak reading was 9 percent in a Rasmussen Reports poll of 433 likely voters conducted May 18-20 2026. In more recent surveys he has registered 3 to 6 percent.
Does the 12th Amendment create a complication for a Kelly ticket pairing with Ruben Gallego?
Yes. Both Kelly and Gallego are legal residents of Arizona. Under the 12th Amendment, Arizona's 11 electors cannot cast both their presidential and vice-presidential votes for two Arizona residents on the same ticket. Arizona is a Tossup battleground state, so the constraint is meaningful. The standard fix is for one candidate to change their legal domicile to another state before the election, as Dick Cheney did when he re-registered from Texas to Wyoming in 2000.
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Related explainers

Who can run for president of the United States?

To be eligible, a person must be a natural-born U.S. citizen, at least 35 years old, and have lived in the U.S. for at least 14 years.

When do 2028 presidential campaigns start?

The 2028 presidential campaign effectively starts after the November 2026 midterms, with formal announcements expected through 2027 - historically 12 to 18 months before the first primaries in early 2028. There is no legal start date, and as of July 2026 no major candidate has formally declared.

Is Gavin Newsom running for president in 2028?

Gavin Newsom is widely considered a likely 2028 Democratic candidate. He has not formally declared but appears in all eleven mid-2026 national Democratic primary surveys and places second in every one of them, with results ranging from 12 to 26 percent -- the most consistent second-place finish in the Democratic field. He leads 2028 Democratic prediction markets as the most likely Democratic nominee and is constitutionally eligible.

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