U.S. Sen. Mark Kelly began this week in Yuma County with a visit to a San Luis junior high school and to meet with supporters for three area Democratic Arizona Legislature candidates.
Sen. Kelly stopped by a private residence in Yuma to support candidates Emilia Cortez, Mariana Sandoval and Brian Fernandez.
Sandoval is a current state representative for Legislative District 23, which includes south Yuma County and also parts of Maricopa, Pima and Pinal counties. She and Cortez are running against two Republicans- fellow LD 23 Rep. Michele Peña and Gary Garcia Snyder.
Fernandez is the current state senator in LD 23. He faces Republican Michelle Altherr in the general election.
Kelly told KAWC he believes the midterm elections will be a referendum on Republican leadership.
“Democrats are fed up but I think everybody is fed up with policies that aren’t improving people's lives," the senator said. "That’s the fundamental job of a leader. You’re supposed to improve people’s lives. I don’t even think that this White House is even trying anymore.”
Sen. Kelly is traveling across Arizona and around the country through Nov. 3 to help Democrats win the majority this midterm cycle. He has supported candidates including JoAnna Mendoza in Arizona's 6th Congressional District as she looks to defeat the incumbent Republican Congressman Juan Ciscomani. Kelly has also campaigned with candidates Abdul El-Sayed in Michigan and Sen. Jon Ossoff in Georgia.
"The president (Trump) and his family are doing real well in one area and that's making themselves more rich and it's to the detriment of everybody else because he's not focused on things that matter," Kelly said. "It's jacking up prices not only on gasoline but on diesel and aviation fuel. I've got legislation to try to fix that to try to at least suspend the federal gas taxes on sll three of those categories of fuel. The White House hasn't gotten behind that. They should."
A Stop in San Luis
Earlier in the day, Kelly visited Southwest Early College Academy in San Luis to engage with students and learn how science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education is helping prepare them for college and future careers.
Principal Luis Reyes and the school’s National Junior Honor Society members greeted the senator warmly.
“Having Sen. Kelly visit our school and interact directly with our students is an incredible opportunity,” Reyes said. “Experiences like this help our students recognize the connection between what they are learning today and what they can accomplish in the future.”
During his visit, the school’s Color Guard gave a presentation followed by a campus tour.
There, Kelly participated in interactive science and math, sitting in class amongst the students. He also learned about the Gadsden Elementary School District’s Early College Program, which provides students with advanced academic opportunities like earning college credits.
Southwest students also asked Kelly about STEM, space exploration and leadership — particularly his experiences as an astronaut and senator. Kelly walked away from the experience with a positive impression.
At the LD23 rally later that day, Kelly told KAWC that, “It was fun. [They were] noticeably engaged and focused kids. That was the big thing I took away from that, and not in a way where like — I could tell it wasn’t just for today. You could tell this was a special school.”
And that specialness was recognized earlier this year. In June, Southwest was named among the top 10 schools worldwide in the Overcoming Adversity category from T4 Education’s 2026 World’s Best School Prizes.
Kelly had already congratulated the school with a special video for their celebration ceremony back then, but he took a moment to congratulate them again in person.
The visit was another form of recognition, said Superintendent Lizette Esparza.
“Sen. Kelly's visit brings attention to the importance of STEM education and early college preparation,” she said. “At Gadsden, we are expanding these opportunities to equip students with the knowledge and skills they need to succeed in college and future careers.”
Kelly’s visit ended with a gathering in the school library, where he met with faculty, staff and Parent Teacher Organization representatives to learn more about the school's educational initiatives and community partnerships.
“We were honored to welcome Sen. Kelly to our school and share our students' accomplishments with him,” said Governing Board President Tadeo De La Hoya. “His visit was an opportunity to showcase the incredible talent and potential of our students, the dedication of our educators and the great things happening in our San Luis community.”
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Reporting for this article is supported by a grant from the Arizona Local News Foundation.
