Mark Kelly to visit N.H. as Trump clash has bolstered his profile

Democratic US Senator Mark Kelly of Arizona, who has sparred in recent months with the Trump administration over military affairs, will be in New Hampshire on Friday to headline an event for veterans.
Kelly will join US Representative Chris Pappas for the event in Derry, N.H., to support the congressman’s bid for US Senate, though his visit may draw broader interest in light of his rising profile on the national stage.
Kelly, a retired Navy captain and combat pilot who went on to become a NASA astronaut, was among six Democratic lawmakers who released a video in November calling on military personnel to “refuse illegal orders.” Their message sparked a dramatic response from President Trump, who called the lawmakers traitors and said they should be imprisoned for sedition, an offense he noted is punishable by death.
FEATURED VIDEO
The Justice Department tried to prosecute the lawmakers, including US Representative Maggie Goodlander of New Hampshire, but a grand jury declined to indict them. Meanwhile, the Pentagon singled Kelly out for potential punishment, including a demotion and dock in retirement pay, but a federal judge intervened on free speech grounds.
Get N.H. Morning Report
A weekday newsletter delivering the N.H. news you need to know right to your inbox.
Enter Email
The uproar has fueled concerns about the Trump administration’s appetite for retribution against political foes amid unease over a variety of military actions, including National Guard deployments in US cities, deadly airstrikes on alleged drug-smuggling boats in international waters, the capture of Nicolás Maduro in Venezuela, and the war in Iran.
But the uproar also appears to be boosting Kelly’s public profile, while he criticizes the president for allegedly lacking a clearly defined objective in Iran. “They have no timeline,” he recently told reporters, according to the Associated Press. “And because of that, they have no exit strategy.”
Advertisement
While he’s coming to New Hampshire to speak with veterans, stump for Pappas, and urge voters to treat the 2026 midterm elections as a referendum on the president, Kelly could also stoke questions about his own electoral ambitions. Kelly, 62, who will be up for reelection in 2028, could run for president instead. That’s something he’s said he’ll “seriously consider.”
And polling suggests Kelly may find a growing base of support among Granite Staters. The University of New Hampshire Survey Center found 10 percent of likely Democratic voters listed Kelly as their preferred candidate in the 2028 presidential primary, up from 3 percent in October.
That seven-point jump — which coincided with the maelstrom around his participation in the “refuse illegal orders” video — was the largest increase for anyone in the field of potential Democratic candidates. Kelly ranked behind Pete Buttigieg, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, and Gavin Newsom, but on par with former Vice President Kamala Harris.
Former US Representative Gabby Giffords is expected to join Kelly, her husband, to support the Pappas campaign, WMUR reported.
Pappas appears to have a big lead over his opponents in the Democratic primary and a smaller lead in hypothetical matchups with Republican contenders John E. Sununu and Scott Brown, according to UNH Survey Center data.
This story appeared in Globe NH | Morning Report, a free newsletter focused on New Hampshire, including great coverage from the Boston Globe and links to interesting articles elsewhere. To receive it via email Monday through Friday, sign up here.
Advertisement
Steven Porter can be reached at steven.porter@globe.com. Follow him @reporterporter.