Opinion: Sen. Mark Kelly update: 'anti-Trump' 2028 presidential candidate or Senate reelection The most contentious, expensive, dramatic, vitriolic, polarized, and gerrymandered midterm election in U.S. history peaks on Nov. 3, a campaign cycle in which President Trump repeatedly asked voters to “pretend” he was on the ballot.

Thus, Trump risks a personal rebuke if Democrats win control of the House and Senate and he deems the results of selected races fraudulent, rigged or stolen from Republicans. Such a scenario could trigger a constitutional crisis if the president authorizes aggressive federal action that Team Trump has loosely threatened throughout 2026.

Strangely, last Saturday, Trump sent an awkward fundraising email pleading, “Do not make me say goodbye.”Perhaps it was a smoke signal testing an early exit before Jan. 20, 2029? Furthermore, Trump officially becomes a “lame duck” on Nov. 4, the kick-off for the 2028 presidential campaign, which will make this nasty midterm election look like child’s play.

Although Vice President JD Vance has the edge for the Republican nomination, “when” or “if” Trump endorses him remains the wild card. Recently, on the campaign trail, Vance suffered a self-inflicted wound while defending a vile ad that could permanently haunt his standing with women voters.

Democrats have a deeper primary bench with no clear frontrunner. As a former Republican, my preferred candidate is Sen. Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.), who has 3 percent primary support. He is the anti-Trump candidate, opposite in personality and style for what is likely to be a pendulum-swing election. Kelly appears well suited for the post-Trump era, when America faces its most challenging domestic and foreign threats since the 1930s.

Exactly a year ago, my Hill op-ed, “Mark Kelly: former Space Shuttle commander to 2028 commander-in-chief?” drew eye rolls from political strategists. After discovering that www.markkellypresident2028.com was available, I bought it on a whim.

Fast forward to Kelly’s Oct. 20 interview on The Hill. It was reported that “He’s getting closer to making a decision about running for president.”But not until “the other side of this election,” Kelly explained. If yes, I will donate the domain to his campaign.

On Nov. 18, 2025, 11 days after my op-ed, Kelly appeared in a controversial video with five other lawmakers, urging military service members to defy illegal orders. As a result, Kelly is embroiled in several legal battles with the Trump administration and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. The disputes have escalated and remain unresolved.

President Trump’s reaction to the video — exclaiming it was “seditious behavior, punishable by DEATH!” — propelled Kelly into the media spotlight, expanding his national profile and fundraising among Democrats.

A year later, Kelly is widely considered a prospective 2028 Democratic nominee. During the midterm election cycle, he raised over $14 million for candidates, developing a national network worthy of a presidential launch.

In the Senate, Kelly serves on the powerful Armed Services and Intelligence committees. He knows that accelerating technological change is significantly affecting the U.S. economy and, given its critical national security implications, must be harnessed to America’s advantage.

For Kelly, a space war is more than a presidential campaign talking point. Then, land wars in Europe and the Middle East, along with a potential Chinese invasion of Taiwan, call for someone with his background and experience to provide domestic and global leadership, given his heroic and inspiring resume.

Navy Capt. Kelly (retired) was a fighter and test pilot with 375 carrier landings and 39 combat missions. Later, as a NASA astronaut, he flew four Space Shuttle missions from 2001 to 2011, two as pilot and two as commander. His nerves of steel would serve him well during an intense primary, an off-the-charts general election, and in the Oval Office.

Tragically, astronaut Kelly’s life changed in January 2011, when his wife, then-Rep. Gabby Giffords (D-Ariz.), was shot in the head at a mass-casualty event. To support her long recovery, Kelly retired from NASA. Today, Giffords advocates against gun violence despite a speech disability caused by brain damage. They are a team should Kelly run for president.

However, they must decide between a crowded, brutal Democratic primary and a Senate reelection campaign. In 2022, Kelly won with only 51 percent, although politically stronger now. He could choose the Senate and possibly be tapped as the nominee’s running mate. In 2024, Kamala Harris considered Kelly for her vice president but chose the governor of Minnesota instead.

If Kelly enters the primary, he will lose the hair war to the photogenic California Gov. Gavin Newsom if Newsom runs. But central-casting looks shouldn't matter when Kelly’s unique skill set and experience can help the U.S. regain respect among our allies and trading partners, boosting the American economy after years of Trump’s alienating policies.

In a world increasingly dominated by high-tech weaponized threats, an aeronautical engineer, space shuttle commander, and battleground-state senator might swing the political pendulum away from Trump’s reign of error. Mark Kelly retired to care for his wife, demonstrating he is empathetic, emotionally stable, authentic, and eminently qualified to be the next commander in chief. Call him the “anti-Trump.”Myra Adams served on the creative team of two Republican presidential campaigns in 2004 and 2008.