Arizona’s Mark Kelly defeats Blake Masters to win full US Senate term, CNN says

Mark Kelly has retained his senate seat in Arizona, defeating Republican challenger Blake Masters, CNN and NBC said.

Kelly, a retired astronaut and U.S. Navy captain, was elected to the Senate in a 2020 special election following the death of former Sen. John McCain.

Masters is a venture capitalist who is seen as a protege of billionaire businessman and PayPal co-founder Peter Thiel, who spent $15 million to boost Masters in the Republican primary. A political newcomer, Masters also had the support of former President Donald Trump.

Running a far-right campaign, Masters has echoed Trump’s false claims that the 2020 election was fraudulent, and he promoted a racist theory that Democrats are trying to change the demographics of the country through immigration. He also opposes abortion and American aid to Ukraine.

Kelly ran as a moderate who is open to bipartisanship, and has criticized Biden on immigration issues. He became a staunch advocate for gun control after the 2011 assassination attempt of his wife, former Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords.