<!-- wp:html --><p>Photo Illustration by Elizabeth Brockway/The Daily Beast/Getty</p>
<p><a href="https://www.thedailybeast.com/mark-kelly-is-in-the-senate-because-of-gun-madness-hes-ready-to-end-it">Sen. Mark Kelly</a>, the former astronaut who won one of the tightest statewide races in the country two years ago, has won a full term in office, beating political newcomer <a href="https://www.thedailybeast.com/blake-masters-is-already-claiming-his-election-will-be-stolen-arizona-mark-kelly">Blake Masters</a> in a result that could determine control of the U.S. Senate.</p>
<p>In 2020, Kelly was sworn into office <a href="https://www.thedailybeast.com/mark-kelly-defeats-martha-mcsally-in-arizona-special-election">to fill out the term of the late Sen. John McCain</a> after a special election that he won by less than three points.</p>
<p>Arizona’s reputation as a Republican stronghold has broken in recent election cycles, but a challenging national environment for Democratic candidates and a massive fundraising boost in recent weeks for Masters—as well as the Libertarian candidate <a href="https://www.thedailybeast.com/libertarian-marc-victor-drops-out-of-arizona-senate-race-weeks-into-early-voting-and-endorses-blake-masters">dropping out of the race</a> and endorsing his Republican opponent—<a href="https://www.thedailybeast.com/why-maga-worshipper-blake-masters-has-arizona-senator-mark-kelly-on-the-run">narrowed the race</a> from a double-digit lead for the incumbent to the single digits before Tuesday’s election.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.thedailybeast.com/mark-kelly-defeats-blake-masters-in-arizona-midterm-election-senate-race?source=articles&via=rss">Read more at The Daily Beast.</a></p><!-- /wp:html -->
Photo Illustration by Elizabeth Brockway/The Daily Beast/Getty
Sen. Mark Kelly, the former astronaut who won one of the tightest statewide races in the country two years ago, has won a full term in office, beating political newcomer Blake Masters in a result that could determine control of the U.S. Senate.
Arizona’s reputation as a Republican stronghold has broken in recent election cycles, but a challenging national environment for Democratic candidates and a massive fundraising boost in recent weeks for Masters—as well as the Libertarian candidate dropping out of the race and endorsing his Republican opponent—narrowed the race from a double-digit lead for the incumbent to the single digits before Tuesday’s election.
