Senator Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.) has amassed $13 million over the past three months, closing the first quarter of 2026 with a robust $22.3 million in his campaign coffers. These substantial figures are noteworthy, particularly since Kelly is not currently in a reelection campaign, as reported by his campaign to POLITICO.
This impressive fundraising is partly attributed to President Donald Trump’s labeling of Kelly as part of the “Seditious Six,” which has amplified his grassroots support. In the previous quarter, Kelly also raised $12.5 million, much of which followed Trump’s allegations that he and other Democratic veterans were traitors.
Kelly is not alone in experiencing a fundraising boost. Representative Jason Crow (D-Colo.), who was similarly targeted in a video, has raised $928,000 since the start of the year, despite not being a primary target for the GOP this year.
The strong fundraising performance by Kelly is likely to fuel further speculation about his potential presidential aspirations. He has hinted at a possible presidential campaign, expressing that he will “seriously consider” running in 2028.
Kelly is leveraging his fundraising capabilities to aid other Democrats in challenging races this year, potentially building alliances that could benefit a future presidential run.
Additionally, Kelly raised $470,000 for his leadership PAC and $1.1 million for the DNC in 2026. In the first quarter, his campaign and leadership PAC transferred $105,000 to the DSCC and provided direct contributions to candidates such as James Talarico, Julianna Stratton, and Mary Peltola. Notably, 98 percent of donations to his campaign were under $100.
“Mark knows that flipping Congress in November is how we hold Trump accountable and that’s why he is campaigning in battleground states and supporting candidates with the resources to help them win tough elections,” said Kelly’s spokesperson, Jacob Peters, to POLITICO.
CORRECTION: An earlier version of this post incorrectly stated that this was Rep. Crow’s largest fundraising quarter.
