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Democrat Mark Kelly keeps Senate seat over Trump-endorsed Blake Masters in Arizona

Published November 11, 2022 at 10:18 PM EST

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Senator Mark Kelly, a Democrat from Arizona, speaks during a news conference following the weekly Democratic caucus luncheon at the US Capitol in Washington, D.C., US, on Tuesday, July 26, 2022. The Senate delayed a procedural vote on a bill to boost the US domestic semiconductor industry after flight disruptions caused by storms on the East Coast prevented some senators from returning to Washington on Monday. Photographer: Eric Lee/Bloomberg via Getty Images

Democratic Sen. Mark Kelly of Arizona has won a second term, beating GOP challenger Blake Masters.

In a race called by the Associated Press, Kelly was up more than 5 percentage points over Masters. The former NASA astronaut was first elected to the Senate in 2020 during a special election following the death of Sen. John McCain.

The seat is one the Democrats needed to keep for greater control of the Senate, which has been split 50-50 with Vice President Harris breaking tie votes in the Democrats' favor.

Kelly has appealed to Arizona moderates and independents. Arizona Democrats made advances in federal-level races in 2020 when President Biden pulled support, along with Kelly winning in the special election.