亚利桑那州参议员马克·凯利（民主党-亚利桑那州）今年广泛走访全国各地，与选民会面，并为关键摇摆州的民主党候选人筹集数百万美元，正在成为2028年民主党总统潜在希望者中的上升之星。到中期选举周期结束时，凯利将在近20个州为民主党候选人进行竞选活动，在包括亚利桑那州、佐治亚州、爱荷华州、密歇根州、内华达州、新罕布什尔州、新墨西哥州、北卡罗来纳州、俄亥俄州、宾夕法尼亚州、南卡罗来纳州和弗吉尼亚州在内的一系列关键州建立了宝贵的选民和捐款人联系。
Sen. Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.) is climbing the ranks of potential 2028 Democratic White House hopefuls as he travels extensively around the country this year to meet voters and raise millions of dollars for Democratic candidates in key battleground states. Kelly will have campaigned for Democratic candidates in nearly 20 states by the end of the midterm election cycle, making valuable voter and donor contacts in an array of pivotal states, such as Arizona, Georgia, Iowa, Michigan, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina and Virginia.
其中几个州不仅是关键的参议院战场，在下一个选举周期中也将是重要的总统战场。而且，其中几个州将成为民主党初选的早期州。南卡罗来纳州将于2028年1月22日举办第一场民主党总统初选，随后是内华达州2月1日、新罕布什尔州2月8日、新墨西哥州2月15日、密歇根州2月22日和弗吉尼亚州2月29日。凯利周一在接受《国会山报》采访时表示，他正越来越接近做出是否竞选总统的决定，但要等到“选举结束后”才会做出决定。
Several of those states are not only key Senate battlegrounds but they will also be important presidential battlegrounds in the next election cycle. And several of those states will be early Democratic primary states. South Carolina will host the first Democratic presidential primary contest on Jan. 22, 2028, followed by Nevada on Feb. 1, New Hampshire on Feb. 8, New Mexico on Feb. 15, Michigan on Feb. 22 and Virginia on Feb. 29. Kelly told The Hill in an interview Monday that he’s getting closer to making a decision about running for president but won’t do so until “the other side of this election.”
这位亚利桑那州资深参议员说，他从未想过自己会竞选参议员，直到2018年选举日前一天，一名来自凤凰城的女性恳求他竞选上议院，因为她担心自己患有唐氏综合征的儿子即将失去医疗保险。他说，华盛顿的共和党同事“忽视了外界的不满情绪”。“人们已经无法负担自己的生活了，人们被踢出医疗补助和SNAP（补充营养援助计划），租金上涨，年轻人现在直到40多岁才真正考虑买房。我28岁买了第一套房子，当时我在海军服役，”他说。
The senior senator from Arizona said he never envisioned himself running for Senate until a woman from Phoenix pleaded with him to run for the upper chamber the night before Election Day 2018 because she feared her son with Down syndrome was about to lose his healthcare coverage. He said Republican colleagues in Washington “are missing the frustration out there.”“Folks can’t afford their lives anymore, people getting kicked off of Medicaid and SNAP [Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program], rent prices are up, young people don’t really consider buying a home now until their 40s. I bought my first house when I was 28, I was in the Navy,” he said.
凯利本周将在亚利桑那州举办一系列活动，为他支持的18名州立法候选人助选，帮助民主党夺取州议会控制权。周四和周五，他将前往亚利桑那州，与民主党候选人一起竞选。周末他将前往新墨西哥州，与妻子、前众议员加比·吉福兹（加比·吉福兹，民主党-亚利桑那州）一起，在由参议员本·雷·卢汉（民主党-新墨西哥州）赞助的集会上发言，并与新墨西哥州州长选举民主党候选人德布·哈兰德一起竞选。
Kelly this week will host a series of events across Arizona for the 18 state legislative candidates he’s endorsed to help Democrats flip the state legislature. On Thursday and Friday, he will travel to Arizona and campaign with Democrats up and down the ballot. He will spend the weekend in New Mexico, where he and his wife, former Rep. Gabby Giffords (D-Ariz.), will speak at a rally sponsored by Sen. Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.) and campaign with Deb Haaland, the Democratic nominee in New Mexico's gubernatorial race.
凯利曾是前副总统卡玛拉·哈里斯2024年可能的竞选搭档名单上的候选人，似乎已准备好在2028年民主党总统初选中扮演重要角色。“如果他决定参选，我认为他将是一位极具竞争力的总统候选人。他拥有气质、背景、经验以及在摇摆州获胜的证明能力，更不用说他与经历了那么多事情的妻子之间非凡的关系了，”塔德·德文说。
Kelly, who was on former Vice President Kamala Harris’s short list of possible running mates in 2024, seems poised to take a prominent role in the 2028 Democratic presidential primary. “I think he’ll be an incredibly formidable candidate for president if he decides to run. He has the temperament, the background, the experience and the proven ability to win states in a battleground state — not to mention his incredible relationship with his wife who has been through so much,” said Tad Devine, a Democratic strategist who worked on Al Gore’s 2000 presidential campaign, former Sen. John Kerry’s (D-Mass.) 2004 presidential campaign and Sen. Bernie Sanders’s (I-Vt.) 2016 presidential campaign.
德文是一名民主党战略家，曾参与阿尔·戈尔2000年总统竞选、前参议员约翰·克里（民主党-马萨诸塞州）2004年总统竞选以及参议员伯尼·桑德斯（独立-佛蒙特州）2016年总统竞选。凯利人生故事的重要部分是他与吉福兹的婚姻，吉福兹在2011年遭枪击并受重伤。他们后来创立了“负责任的美国人”组织，以应对枪支暴力问题。
A major part of Kelly’s life story is his marriage to Giffords, who was shot and severely injured in 2011. They later founded Americans for Responsible Solutions to address gun violence.
凯利今年早些时候表示，他将“认真考虑”参选总统。民主党战略家和政治专家表示，凯利作为经受过战斗考验的海军飞行员的资历，以及他作为一位敏锐、冷静参议员的风度，似乎与选民可能在特朗普总统继任者身上寻求的特质非常吻合。“如果他决定参选总统，选民会非常认真地看待他，”德文说。凯利在特朗普第二任期内，在国家安全问题上发挥了突出的发言作用。
Kelly said earlier this year he will “seriously consider” a presidential run. His credentials as a combat-tested Naval aviator and demeanor as a sharp and sober-minded senator appear well-matched to what voters may be looking for in a successor to President Trump, Democratic strategists and political experts say. “That is a guy who would be taken very seriously by voters if he decides to run for president,” Devine said. Kelly has played a prominent role speaking out on national security issues during Trump’s second term.
他对国防部长皮特·赫格塞思的尖锐批评引人注目——批评赫格塞思使用商业通讯应用Signal讨论敏感军事行动，以及批评五角大楼在伊朗战争最初几周内迅速消耗导弹和其他高价值弹药。凯利周一对《国会山报》表示，赫格塞思计划直播处理胡德堡大屠杀枪手尼达尔·哈桑的处决，是他不适合领导国防部的最新证据。“我认为赫格塞思本应多次被解职，在多个场合都应如此。上一次他本应被解职，是在他呼吁公开处决的时候。我是说，认真的吗？在美国，开始公开处决人？”他说。
His pointed criticisms of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth — over Hegseth’s use of commercial messaging app Signal to discuss sensitive military operations, and over the Pentagon’s rapid consumption of missiles and other high-value munitions during the first weeks of the Iran war — have stood out. Kelly told The Hill on Monday that Hegseth's plan to livestream the execution of Fort Hood mass shooter Nidal Hasan is the latest evidence he’s unfit to lead the Defense Department. “I think Hegseth should have been fired multiple times, on multiple occasions. The last time he should have been fired when he called for a public execution. I mean, seriously? In the United States, start publicly executing people?” he said.
“那不是我们的本色。如果我们这样做，这将从根本上改变这个国家的性格。”凯利在特朗普执政期间，通过与参议员埃莉莎·斯洛特金（民主党-密歇根州）及几位众议院民主党人录制视频，敦促军人不服从非法命令，从而在全国媒体上引起最大轰动。而特朗普政府对该视频的反弹，更甚于其他任何因素，使凯利成为一则重大全国新闻的中心，并提升了他在民主党捐款人、活动家和选民中的知名度。
“That’s not who we are. That fundamentally changes the character of this country if we do it.”Kelly made his biggest splash in the national media under Trump by recording a video with Sen. Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.) and several House Democrats urging military service members to disobey illegal orders. More than anything, the backlash from the Trump administration to that video put Kelly at the center of a big national story and raised his prominence with Democratic donors, activists and voters.
赫格塞思曾谴责并试图降低凯利的军衔、削减其退休金，但遭到一名联邦地区法院法官阻止。特朗普司法部试图对他和其他民主党人提起煽动阴谋罪指控，但联邦大陪审团拒绝起诉他们。凯利在媒体露面时强调，与任何其他考虑2028年竞选总统的民主党人相比，他拥有不同的背景。“我在海军服役25年，在NASA工作15年。我是第一次海湾战争中的一名战斗机飞行员。我有工程背景，”凯利上个月告诉当地亚利桑那州电视台ABC15。“这里的大多数人来自其他背景。有很多律师。
Hegseth censured and tried to demote Kelly in rank and reduce his retirement pay but was blocked by a federal district court judge. The Trump Justice Department attempted to charge him and other Democrats with seditious conspiracy, but a federal grand jury declined to indict them. Kelly emphasizes in media appearances that he has a different background than any other Democrat who is looking at running for president in 2028. “I spent 25 years in the Navy, 15 at NASA. I was a combat pilot in the first Gulf War. I have a background in engineering,” Kelly told ABC15, a local Arizona television station last month. “Most of the folks up here come from some other background. There are a lot of lawyers. I have to figure out what the country needs here as we turn the corner and turn the page on this disaster of an administration," he said of his colleagues in both chambers and of governors who are eyeing a presidential bid in the coming months.
他谈到两院同僚以及未来数月内有意角逐总统提名的多位州长时说：“我必须弄清楚，在这个国家转过弯、翻过这届糟糕政府这一页之际，这里究竟需要什么。”资深民主党策略师史蒂夫·贾丁表示，他“轻松”地将凯利列入2028年最有希望的民主党潜在总统候选人前五名。他认为，凯利作为战斗老兵和宇航员的背景，使他在可能包括哈里斯、加利福尼亚州州长加文·纽森、前交通部长皮特·布蒂吉格、肯塔基州州长安迪·贝希尔、进步派众议员亚历山德里娅·奥卡西奥-科尔特斯（纽约州）以及同为参议员的乔恩·奥索夫（佐治亚州）在内的民主党人选中脱颖而出。
Steve Jarding, a longtime Democratic strategist, said he “easily” puts Kelly in the top five most promising potential Democratic presidential candidates in 2028. He argued Kelly’s background as a combat veteran and astronaut makes him stand out in a field of Democrats that could include Harris, California Gov. Gavin Newsom, former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, progressive Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (N.Y.) and fellow Sen. Jon Ossoff (Ga.).
“我把他排得非常高，”贾丁说，并提到“他的背景、他的履历、他的军事经历，我认为这对民主党人让国防部重新回到掌控之下很重要……他当然会是能够做到这一点的一个声音。”“我会轻松地把他排进前五，甚至是前三。他的资历很难被超越，”他补充道。“他符合很多条件。”凯利在本选举周期迄今已为民主党人筹集约1410万美元，其中包括为民主党参议院竞选委员会筹集的410万美元，以及为民主党全国委员会筹集的超过300万美元。
“I rank him very high,” Jarding said, citing “his background, his record, the military stuff, which I think is important for the Democrats to get the Department of Defense back under control … he would certainly be a voice who could do that.”“I would put him easily in the top five, if not the top two or three. His profile would be hard to beat,” he added. “He checks a lot of boxes.”Kelly has so far raised about $14.1 million for Democrats this election cycle, including $4.1 million for the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee and more than $3 million for the Democratic National Committee.
民主党策略师表示，凯利在早期民主党总统初选州建立的人脉，如果他在明年发起总统竞选，将会带来回报。“这至关重要，因为在这些早期州，你必须真正与人建立关系，与那些在其州内位居关键位置的活生生的人建立关系。而做到这一点的唯一办法就是去那里，花时间与他们相处，了解他们，并让他们早早出来支持你，”前民主党总统竞选策略师德文解释道。
Democratic strategists say the contacts Kelly is making in early Democratic presidential primary states will pay off if he launches a run for president next year. “It’s critical because in those early states you have to make relationships actually with people, real human beings who are key people within their states. And the only way to do that is to go there, spend time with them, get to know them and get them to come out for you early,” Devine, the former Democratic presidential strategist, explained.
凯利还在从心怀不满的选民那里获得见解，比如周一与他见面的一群亚利桑那州尤马的企业主。
Kelly’s also picking up insights from frustrated voters, such as a group of business owners in Yuma, Ariz., who met with him Monday.
他说，特朗普的经济政策正以意想不到的方式沉重打击民众。亚利桑那州因总统与加拿大丑陋的贸易争端，加上他关于将加拿大变为“第51个州”的戏言而受损，因为加拿大游客不再南下过冬。“我刚和一些小企业主会面，他们很沮丧，因为加拿大游客不再来这里了。他们过去受益于驾驶房车[休闲车]来此过冬的加拿大人——成百上千辆。这些人会花很多钱，”凯利说。
He says the Trump economy is hitting people hard in unexpected ways. Arizona has been hurt by the president’s ugly trade fight with Canada, along with his quips about making Canada the 51st state, because Canadian tourists have stopped coming south for the winter. “I just met with some small business owners, and they are frustrated because Canadian tourists have stopped coming here. They used to benefit from Canadians in RVs [recreational vehicles] who would spend their winters here — hundreds, if not thousands, of them. And they would spend a lot of money,” Kelly said.
“有个家伙，我今天在他的餐厅见到他，他说这对他造成的打击比新冠疫情还大，”这位参议员讲道。“这是因为这位总统侮辱了加拿大。加拿大人不再来美国度假，即便我们的产品还摆在加拿大的货架上，他们也不愿购买。”
“One guy, I was at his restaurant today, he said that this has been harder than COVID for him,” the senator recounted. “It’s because how this president has insulted Canada. Canadians don’t come to vacation in the United States anymore, and they don’t want to buy our products when they’re even still on the shelves in Canada.”