Sen. Mark Kelly sets fundraising record after 'illegal orders' furor

Source: USA Today

Jan. 31, 2026, 1:46 p.m. ET


Sen. Mark Kelly’s campaign raised more than $12.5 million in the final months of 2025 after the “illegal orders” video controversy with President Donald Trump effectively made the Arizona Democrat the center of opposition to the administration.

Kelly may have set a quarterly fundraising record for senators not facing reelection during an off-year period, and he spread $1 million of his campaign’s cash to other Democratic candidates in Arizona and across the country during the same time. Kelly’s current term doesn’t expire until after the 2028 elections.

The flood of money reflects both the significance of his standoff with Trump and Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth, as well as Kelly’s ability to harness the national outrage as he says he is considering a run for the Oval Office in 2028.

Last year, Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vermont, raised $11.6 million at the start of 2025, when the former presidential candidate drew crowds across the country — including in Arizona — for a tour with U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-New York, signaling liberal resistance to Trump.

Read more: https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2026/01/31/sen-mark-kelly-may-have-set-fundraising-record-what-to-know/88451392007/