Retired astronaut Mark Kelly raised more than $4 million during his first fundraising haul for the Democratic nomination for the 2020 Senate race, his campaign told The Arizona Republic.

Despite being a first-time Democratic contender, Kelly's strong fundraising likely reflects his celebrity as an astronaut, his national profile as a gun-control activist and his high-profile marriage to former Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, who survived an assassination attempt in 2011.

Kelly's campaign said more than a quarter of the total raised since Kelly's Feb. 12 campaign launch came from Arizona donors. All told, 58,000 contributions accounted for the $4 million and the overwhelming majority were from donations amounting to $100 or less.

For context, Mike Johnston, who is seen as the strongest Democratic candidate to defeat GOP incumbent Sen. Cory Gardner in Colorado, says he raised $1.8 million during 2019's first quarter.

"Mark Kelly is going to blow all of our candidates out of the water" with his fundraising said Democratic consultant Andy Barr, who is not affiliated with the campaign. "... Hitting big fundraising numbers early is an indication that you have a very professional and well-organized staff and that they are very focused."

Kelly's campaign manager, Jen Cox, said in a statement that supporters from all corners of the state are "chipping in what they can because they want a voice in their democracy and they know Mark will be an independent leader for Arizona."

Kelly has sworn off money from corporate political action committees, saying their influence on politics is "destructive." But his fundraising from lobbyists representing corporate interests, as well as his personal, paid speaking engagements, have drawn scrutiny about his affiliations with special interests.

It appears as though Kelly, 55, will not face a competitive Democratic primary for the 2020’s special election: Rep. Ruben Gallego said last week he would not mount a bid for the seat because his only path to victory would be to run a negative campaign that could leave the Democratic nominee wounded headed into the general election.

A spokesperson for Sen. Martha McSally, R-Ariz., declined to release McSally's first-quarter fundraising numbers on Wednesday. The amount will be publicly available later this month via a campaign-finance report filed with the Federal Election Commission.

McSally lost her 2018 bid for the Senate seat but became a senator anyway when Gov. Doug Ducey appointed her to the seat once held by the late Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz.

One of McSally's recent fundraisers in Arizona was hosted by some of the most prominent GOP donors in the state, including automobile mogul Jim Click and recreational-vehicle magnate Cole Davis.

The Senate seat is seen as a potential pick-up opportunity for Democrats, given Sen. Kyrsten Sinema's success in the 2018 primary, the state's growing Latino demographics and the controversial presidency of Donald Trump.

The 2020 election will fill the final two years of McCain’s unexpired term. The winner would again face voters in 2022 to serve the full six-year term.

Have news about Arizona's U.S. senators or national politics to share? Reach the reporter on Twitter and Facebook. Contact her at yvonne.wingett@arizonarepublic.com and 602-444-4712.

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