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Mark Kelly was sworn in this week as the new member of the US Senate, giving Arizona two Democratic members to the upper house of Congress and temporarily shaving the GOP majority.
Arizona Senator Kyrsten Sinema escorted Kelly to his ceremony, led by Vice President Mike Pence. Both men wore masks, as did Sinema, and banged their elbows when the oath was over, according to the Associated Press.
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Kelly’s wife and former Arizona congressman Gabby Giffords – who was shot in the head in a mass shooting nine years ago – had brought Kelly into the building and joined her. Twin brother, Scott Kelly, in the visitor’s gallery to watch the proceedings.
After the ceremony, members adjourned for a photo in the old Senate Chamber, where Pence and Kelly, a former astronaut, discussed the military and NASA.
“It’s an honor for me,” Pence reportedly said. “Congratulations.”
Kelly, 56, defeated outgoing Republican Senator Martha McSally in November, reducing GOP control over the upper house to a 52-seat majority. Kelly was sworn in this week because he ran in a special election to take a seat once held by the late Senator John McCain.
The other winners of the November general election will not take office until January, and the second round of elections in Georgia that same month will ultimately decide on control of the chamber.
Kelly’s swearing-in marks a new chapter in state politics. Arizona is historically red but has swung in favor of now President-elect Joe Biden, becoming a key rung on the victory ladder.
This year marks the first time Arizona has had two Democratic senators since January 1953.
Kelly, however, is a self-proclaimed moderate. Centrism played a key role in his campaign, in which McSally attempted to portray him as a radical progressive parrot party ideal.
Because Kelly is fulfilling the remainder of the six-year term McCain won in 2016, he will be re-elected in just two years.
It should be noted that Kelly’s race was one of the most expensive in the country, eventually reaching $ 89 million.
Since McSally conceded the special election, Kelly has formed a bipartisan transition team – comprising both Popular Democrats and McCain’s allies.
As coronavirus cases increase across the country, Kelly’s top priority is to fight the pandemic. He wrote in a column published on Monday that he was working with both sides to devise an effective strategy.
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Kelly told the Arizona Republic on Wednesday that he felt good after taking the oath
“Now the work begins,” he says. “What matters is what happens from now on and what can I do to improve the lives of people in the state of Arizona.”
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