MAULDIN, SOUTH CAROLINA — U.S. Sen. Mark Kelly of Arizona told an energetic crowd of Democratic voters in South Carolina the party must "outwork" Republicans to win the November elections.
Kelly, a Democrat, spoke Friday during a South Carolina Democratic Party event focused on voter turnout with just over a month remaining before the Nov. 3 general election.
SCDP Executive Director Jay Parmley said the party is bringing national surrogates to South Carolina to stress the importance of voter turnout with about a month left until the midterm election.
According to Parmley, Democrats face a challenge of turning out voters who typically participate only in the presidential elections.
"They're not like you. They don't zone into these elections," Parmley said. "So, we need our friends and family and our neighbors to vote on November 3."
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Kelly and his wife, former U.S. Rep. Gabby Giffords, D-Arizona, were greeted by an enthusiastic room of more than 70 Democratic voters and candidates.
The couple's South Carolina visit aims to support Democrats, including Senate candidate Annie Andrews and Nancy Lacore, the candidate for South Carolina's 1st Congressional District. Kelly has also recently campaigned for Democratic candidates in over 15 states, including North Carolina, Michigan and Iowa.
Former U.S. Rep. Gabby Giffords listens as U.S. Sen. Mark Kelly speaks during an event Friday in Mauldin, South Carolina.
Beyond the midterms, Kelly has been mentioned as a possible Democratic contender in the 2028 presidential race. Many prospective presidential candidates choose to campaign early in South Carolina because the state has an early presidential primary, which can give a candidate momentum for later primaries. The Democratic National Committee selected South Carolina as the party's first-in-the-nation presidential primary in 2028.
Kelly largely avoided discussing presidential politics during his stop in Mauldin, saying only that he would consider a run if he believes he is the right person for the country.
Despite South Carolina's Republican lean, Kelly said Democratic candidates should focus on maximizing voter outreach and avoiding complacency.
"Just outwork the other side," Kelly said. "We don't want to get to the other side of the election and think we could have done something else."
Kelly and Giffords were to be in Charleston over the weekend to meet with Andrews. He said he thinks she is the "right candidate at the right time" to win South Carolina's U.S. Senate seat.
Recent polling has put Andrews and Graham within a few points of each other, with Graham maintaining a slight lead. The Trafalgar Group, an Atlanta-based firm, released a new poll on Sept. 26 that gave Graham a 1-percentage-point lead over Andrews.
Kelly said he has been an early supporter of the Andrews campaign and first learned about her from his daughter. He said he thinks there is an opportunity for her to flip the Senate seat.
"I think we'll see where the momentum is in 32 days," Kelly said. "That matters, but I think she can pull this out."
