Mark Kelly finds a receptive audience to talk about gun violence
Sen. Mark Kelly tried Tuesday to shift the national conversation to gun safety in an appearance that was notable for its location and its timing.
As the nation reels from the latest outbreak of political violence, the senator from Arizona and his wife, former Rep. Gabby Giffords, recalled the horrific attack that tore apart their lives as they addressed an audience in Charleston, South Carolina, on the 10-year anniversary of the mass killing at Mother Emanuel AME church.
Kelly and Giffords, who was badly wounded in a 2011 attack in her congressional district, appealed for action to address violence that the former Navy pilot and astronaut said makes the U.S. stand out “in the worst of ways” among developed nations.
“There are loopholes in our gun laws that you can drive a truck through,” Kelly said during a packed town hall in a state that carries electoral weight because of its early primary — giving the senator’s visit an added political dimension.
His remarks came during an evening town hall at Charleston’s Casper Hall, about two miles from where nine people were gunned down by a white supremacist during a Bible study gathering.
“I, on behalf of me and Gabby, want to express our condolences about what happened a decade ago,” said Kelly, seated on stage with Giffords. The racially motivated shooting is “something that should not happen in any sanctuary of any religion, anywhere in our country, ever,” he added.
The senator went on during the hour-long forum to highlight the nation’s seemingly unyielding frequency of gun violence, peppered throughout with friendly questions that allowed him, along with his wife and two state Democratic lawmakers to opine at length about why changing gun laws in a deep red state like South Carolina and federally has been a challenge.
At one point Giffords was asked by Christale Spain, the South Carolina Democratic Chair who served as emcee: “Do you ever want to give up on your work to end gun violence?”
“No way, Jose!” Giffords responded, before adding, “Don’t look back, I hope others are inspired to keep moving forward, no matter what.”
The timing of the event comes as the nation’s political leaders are on edge following the attack on a pair of Minnesota lawmakers over the weekend.
The alleged gunman, identified as Vance Boelter, has been charged with federal and state charges of murder and attempted murder for the killing of Minnesota House Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband and critically wounding another lawmaker and his spouse. Authorities say Boelter had a “hit list” that included nearly four dozen elected officials, all Democrats.
The audience at the town hall held a moment of silence for the victims in Minnesota.
Kelly is seen as an emerging Democratic with a rising national profile. He suggested the only way out of the U.S. can find its way out of the seemingly endless cycles of gun violence is for both political parties to work together. He noted it happened last Congress when then-President Joe Biden signed into law a measure that modestly strengthened background checks and provided resources to address mental health.
“We can accomplish things. It’s just not as much as we would like,” Kelly said, before adding that registering people to vote is key. “Winning elections is what really, really matters in this fight.”
Kelly was under consideration to be Kamala Harris’ running mate before she chose Gov. Tim Walz of Minnesota. That sparked chatter that he could be a presidential contender down the line.
He was first elected to the Senate in a special election in 2020 to serve the remaining remainder of the term of the late Sen. John McCain, the GOP presidential nominee in 2008. Kelly was elected to a full six-year term in 2022, proving his special election win was no fluke and he could hold on to a Democratic seat in a critical swing state, which likely also boosts his appeal for a potential presidential run.
While not expressly addressed during the town hall, Kelly also got the opportunity to introduce himself to a key South Carolina voting bloc. Unlike in Arizona, Black voters make up a sizable portion of South Carolina’s Democratic primary voters, who could again be a decisive coalition as they did with Joe Biden in the 2020 cycle.
South Carolina Democrats have hosted other potential White House hopefuls in recent weeks including Gov. Wes Moore of Maryland,who headlined the party’s Blue Palmetto Dinner in late May, and Walz, who delivered the keynote address at the state party convention on June 1.
Both talked about leading the party out of the political wilderness, even as uncertainty remains whether South Carolina will hold on to its lead off spot in the party’s nominating calendar three years from now.
Kelly did not hesitate to name check Charleston’s longtime Democratic Rep. James Clyburn, who has earned a reputation as a kingmaker in the state party. Kelly reminded the audience that Clyburn has previously introduced legislation in Congress aiming to close the Charleston Loophole, but has yet to be taken up.
One of the final questions Kelly was asked about was what the future looks like for young Americans and what advancements he hopes to create for them on curbing gun violence.
“It’s not the kids fault,” he said. “It’s our fault, collectively as a nation. It’s the fault of Congress, it’s the fault of the South Carolina legislature that we can’t get our shit together in a way to do something that clearly makes this society safer for kids.”