Kelly takes under-the-radar approach in Arizona Senate race | TheHill

Sen. Mark KellyMark KellySome in GOP begin testing party's lockstep loyalty to Trump We are America's independent contractors, and we are terrified Overnight Energy & Environment — Lummis holds up Biden EPA picks MORE (D-Ariz.) is relying on a tried-and-true strategy of raising boatloads of money while keeping his head down on hot-button issues in a bid to win his Senate race, a contest that is a lynchpin for both parties’ strategies to win control of the upper chamber.Kelly hasn’t staked out firm positions on issues like filibuster reform and President BidenJoe BidenCarville advises Democrats to 'quit being a whiny party' Wendy Sherman takes leading role as Biden's 'hard-nosed' Russia negotiator Sullivan: 'It's too soon to tell' if Texas synagogue hostage situation part of broader extremist threat MORE’s sprawling social and climate spending bill, keeping with a successful approach he employed when he first ran in 2020. “Sen. Kelly has not gotten either the attacks from the right or the skepticism from the left so far during the campaign, and that's certainly worked to his advantage.”Kelly was first elected to the Senate in 2020 to finish the term of late Sen. John McCainJohn Sidney McCainVoting rights, Trump's Big Lie, and Republicans' problem with minorities Sinema, Manchin curb Biden's agenda A call to regular order: Joe Manchin and the anomaly of the NDAA MORE (R), serving entirely under a 50-50 Senate marked by brutal Democratic infighting.Following a productive 2021, which saw the passage of both a coronavirus stimulus package and a bipartisan infrastructure package, Democrats are now mired in an internal battle over Biden’s spending plan and changing the Senate rules in order to pass voting rights reforms.But Kelly has held his fire on those hot-button issues and more – a tactic that could make sense in the state that handed Biden his narrowest margin of victory in 2020.The Arizona Democrat has repeatedly declined to clarify what changes to the Senate’s 60-vote filibuster he supports, saying recently, “if there’s a real proposal, I’ll take a look at it and evaluate it based on what’s in the best interests of the country.” And while he has voiced support for some provisions to be included in Democrats’ spending package, he hasn’t specified a topline figure he could support.In the meantime, Kelly has fiercely promoted the popular packages passed last year – possible boons to a state in need of improvements to its roads and water infrastructure.“The pace at which the world is shifting its attention, he's just keeping his head down and trying to avoid these extraordinarily polarizing hot-button issues,” Arizona Democratic strategist Stacy Pearson said.