Senator Mark Kelly, an Arizona Democrat, warned on Thursday that far-left policy ideas such as abolishing police, getting rid of jails and prisons, eliminating the border, and defunding the Pentagon could hurt Democratic candidates in the midterm elections and beyond, saying voters often blame the entire party for positions held by its most progressive voices.
During an interview on «Next Question with Katie Couric», Kelly said those proposals simply do not make sense to most Americans. «There are folks out there that say things that just don’t make sense to the American people, like abolish the police or get rid of jails and prisons, get rid of the border, defund the Pentagon,» he said. «Those things don’t make sense.»
Couric asked Kelly whether the party’s ideological divide could damage Democratic candidates this year and eventually affect the party’s 2028 presidential nominee. Kelly acknowledged the risk directly. «It could cost us some seats,» he said. «I think that’s very, very possible.»
Kelly also tried to separate himself from proposals often identified with the party’s left flank, noting that voters sometimes attach those ideas to every Democrat on the ballot. «Some of them, I think, associate it with Democrats,» he said. «That’s not the Democratic Party I’m in. Those aren’t the policies I support.»
His comments came as Democratic leaders have struggled with weak public approval. A Fox News poll conducted in April found that 42 percent of registered voters viewed the Democratic Party favorably, while 58 percent viewed it unfavorably. Sixty-one percent said Democrats were focused on the wrong issues. A Quinnipiac University poll released in May found that only 20 percent of registered voters approved of the job Democrats in Congress were doing, while 72 percent disapproved. Even among Democratic voters, 41 percent approved and 50 percent disapproved.
Kelly issued his warning shortly after several candidates backed by the Democratic Socialists of America won notable primary contests. DSA-backed candidate Melat Kiros defeated longtime Representative Diana DeGette of Colorado, while DSA member Darializa Avila Chevalier ousted veteran Representative Adriano Espaillat of New York. DSA-endorsed New York state lawmaker Claire Valdez also won the Democratic primary to succeed retiring Representative Nydia Velázquez, also of New York.
Kelly told Couric that he is «seriously considering» a 2028 presidential campaign and that his wife, former Representative Gabby Giffords, is encouraging him to enter the race. He said the decision would depend on his family and on whether he believed he could win. He described Giffords as focused on what is best for the country and devoted to public service, adding that everybody needs to do their part.
Kelly has also built a political operation that could support a national campaign. He said he had directed millions of dollars to candidates he considered electable, while avoiding campaigns built around proposals he views as unrealistic. «I have the ability to, you know, raise money. I’m pretty good at that,» Kelly said. He added that he had raised or given away a combined $10 million during the current election cycle. «I tend to steer away from the stuff that is never going to happen, that is just about creating a lot of noise.»
Despite the party’s poor image, a Fox News poll released last week found Democrats leading Republicans by seven points among registered voters, 53 percent to 46 percent. The same poll found that 68 percent of Democrats were extremely motivated to vote in November, compared with 57 percent of Republicans. Democratic support on the generic congressional ballot was the highest either party had recorded in Fox News polling since 1996.
