Science
Related: About this forumMark Kelly becomes 4th astronaut elected to Congress
By Robert Z. Pearlman - collectSPACE.com Editor 19 hours ago
Former NASA astronaut Mark Kelly, seen addressing supporters on Tuesday night (Nov. 3) in Tucson, has been elected by the state of Arizona to the U.S. Senate. Kelly is the fourth astronaut to secure a seat in Congress.
(Image: © Mark Kelly)
Mark Kelly has won a seat in the U.S. Senate, making him only the fourth NASA astronaut to be elected to Congress.
Kelly, who launched four times into space before pursuing a career in politics, was successful in his bid to represent the state of Arizona in the U.S. Senate. Kelly, a Democrat, ran against incumbent Martha McSally, a Republican and former U.S. Air Force combat pilot. The special election was held to complete the six-year term of Senator John McCain, who died in 2018 (McSally was temporarily appointed by Arizona's governor after McCain's death).
"When we launched this campaign from this very spot, right here, 619 days ago, I could have never anticipated just how many Arizonians would be part of this mission," said Kelly, addressing supporters at the Hotel Congress in Tucson on Tuesday night (Nov. 3). "This mission does not end when the last vote is counted. It is only the beginning."
Kelly won the election by a margin of 52.63 percent, according to the Secretary of State for the state of Arizona.
More:
https://www.livescience.com/astronaut-mark-kelly-senate-win.html
Chichiri
(4,667 posts)So thrilled to have Mark Kelly elected.
FarPoint
(12,317 posts)was he not also an astronaut?
Judi Lynn
(160,515 posts)Florida Senator Went to Space While in Office, But He May Be Going Home
By Meghan Bartels November 07, 2018
Sen. Bill Nelson, D-Fla., has generally been a strong advocate of NASA in committee hearings, like this one in 2012.
(Image: © NASA/Bill Ingalls)
As results from yesterday's midterm elections roll in, three-term Democratic Florida Senator and former astronaut Bill Nelson is trailing in ballot tallies against Republican challenger Rick Scott, who currently serves as the state's governor.
Nelson served as a payload specialist in 1986 aboard the space shuttle Columbia, spending six days in orbit. He went to space as a sitting member of the U.S. House of Representatives, a position he held from 1979 to 1991. He ran for senator in 2000 and won, beginning a three-term career in the upper house. He is the ranking member on the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, where he has generally been a strong advocate for NASA.
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According to reporting by the Tampa Bay Times, the ballot tally in Nelson's senatorial election is close enough that Florida's secretary of state could call for a recount, although such a procedure is not mandatory. Scott has claimed victory, although Nelson has not conceded and the Associated Press has not officially called the race. [Presidential Visions for Space Exploration: From Ike to Trump]
https://www.space.com/42368-astronaut-senator-bill-nelson-florida-election-2018.html
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I remember when Republican monsters saw the photo of Bill Nelson showing Senator John Kerry through the Kennedy Space Center and used it to mock him, laughing their empty heads off at how funny he looked during his Presidential campaign.
Democratic presidential candidate Sen. John F. , D-Mass., left, and Sen. Bill Nelson, D-Fla., dressed in clean room attire, visit the flight deck of Space Shuttle Discovery during a tour of the Orbiter Processing Facility, Monday, July 26, 2004 at Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Fla. The suits are required dress to board Discovery, currently being prepared for flight on the next Space Shuttle mission. (AP Photo/ NASA)
GOP GUERRILLAS / Republicans fire broadsides to shoot down Kerry's expected bubble
Zachary Coile,
Chronicle Political Writer
July 28, 2004
Updated: Jan. 26, 2012 4:55 p.m.
Story:
https://www.sfgate.com/politics/article/GOP-GUERRILLAS-Republicans-fire-broadsides-to-2738396.php
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They've been a-holes 🎵 too long to turn back now. 🎵