Mark Kelly wins Arizona Senate race, bringing Democrats one seat away from majority, NBC News projects

U.S. Sen. Mark Kelly (D-AZ) and his wife former Congresswoman Gabby Giffords, daughters Charlotte, Samantha and son in law Mark Sudman wave during his election night rally at the Rialto Theatre on November 08, 2022 in Tucson, Arizona.

Mark Kelly will hold on to his Senate seat in Arizona, which will push Democrats closer to retaining control of the Senate.

Kelly was leading Masters by almost six percentage points with 85% of the votes counted. Democrats only need one of the two seats in Nevada or Georgia that haven't been called.

As of Friday morning, Adam Laxalt was leading by 1 percentage point in Nevada. The race for Georgia's Senate was too close to call and will be decided on December 6th.

Through the month of October, Kelly raised and spent more money than Masters. According to data compiled by the Federal Election Commission, Masters raised $12.3 million and spent less than $10 million over the course of a year.

On the campaign trail, the Arizona Democrat promoted his willingness to work across the aisle with Republicans. He was elected to the Senate to finish John McCain's term.

When Kelly came out against the decision to end Title 42, he distanced himself from the stance he had taken in the past. Migrants were not allowed to enter the country due to the policy.

The Arizona Democrat is a strong advocate for border security. During a debate, he referred to the influx of migrants as a mess.

I told the president that he was wrong about changing the rules that would cause a bigger crisis. Kelly said in October that he pushed back on the administration.

The CHIPS and Science Act was a key component of President Joe Biden's economic policies.

Kelly is married to a woman who was shot in the head in 2011.