Who is running for U.S. Senate? These are the major candidates in the race

One of Arizona's two U.S. Senate seats is up for election in 2022.

Democrat Mark Kelly holds the seat initially won by the late Sen. John McCain in 2016. He beat Republican Martha McSally, who had been appointed to McCain's seat, in a special election in November 2020.

Democrat Kyrsten Sinema also beat McSally, in 2018. Her current term ends in January 2025.

The Senate, along with the House of Representatives, make up Congress. They are responsible for enacting legislation and declaring war. The Senate approves or rejects the presidential appointments, such as Supreme Court justices. The Senate also hears trials of impeachment cases of federal officials.

Senators serve six-year terms, with no term limits. Terms are staggered, so every two years one group of senate seats is up for election.

The Arizona primary is set for Aug. 2, 2022, and the general election is on Nov. 8, 2022.

So far, the race is crowded with Republicans.

Here is who is running for U.S Senate:

Democrats running for U.S Senate

Mark Kelly

Mark Kelly is campaigning for re-election.

Kelly got the most votes in a special election in 2020 to fill in John McCain's seat. He is now seeking re-election to serve a six-year term.

Kelly stated on his campaign site that he's "never looked at things through a partisan lens, and I believe Arizona needs an independent voice representing them in the Senate."

Kelly has expressed support for expanding health care access, ensuring promised care and benefits are provided to veterans, ending tax breaks to the wealthy and corporations, and investing in infrastructure, research and development. He has supported protecting DREAMers, fighting for higher teacher pay and school funding, and gun safety.

He is the husband of former U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, seriously wounded in a January 2011 shooting at a constituent event near Tucson.

Republicans running for U.S Senate

Mark Brnovich

Current Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich is running for U.S Senate. He is finishing his second four-year term in office.

Brnovich has challenged the federal vaccine mandate and a variety of other issues related to border security and election laws during his time as attorney general, including recently launching an investigation into Arizona's 2020 election.

Brnovich's campaign website focuses on issues like securing the border and supporting law enforcement. His website also lists restoring election integrity, supporting religious freedom and the Second Amendment, fighting against "crony" capitalism and being "pro-consumer, pro-business."

Brnovich also plans to have "An America First Foreign Policy," putting the interests of the American people first. China remains a threat, and energy independence is a priority, he said.

Jim Lamon

Lamon is the founder and chairman of DEPCOM Power, a solar power company in Arizona.

He is a supporter of former president Donald Trump and helped fund security for the Maricopa County election review.

Lamon's campaign website lists the policies he is campaigning on, including voting for legislation that would improve border security, Supporting completion of a Southern border wall is "top priority."

Lamon wants to support jobs and the economy by voting for legislation that will raise wages for American workers and lower tax burdens, provide clean, low-cost energy, strengthen and modernize national security programs and stand up to China.

He supports a nationwide right to school choice "to empower parents and give children from all backgrounds the opportunity to receive an excellent education."

Blake Masters

Blake Masters runs Thiel Capital, a firm that invests in new technology companies, and the Thiel Foundation, a nonprofit that promotes science and innovation.

As a first-time candidate, Masters' previously told The Arizona Republic, “There’s a youthness and a freshness, fresh perspective that we really badly need, and that’s what I bring to the table.”

Masters' campaign website lists the policies he plans to campaign on, including securing the border.

"We need to completely end illegal immigration using every tool at hand," which he lists as, a physical wall, surveillance, hiring more border agents, and mandating E-verify for employers. He wants to give "American workers a fighting chance" through training for well-paying jobs and better health care.

Masters highlights cracking down on crime, strong national defense, defending free speech and the Bill of Rights, wisely using natural resources, expanding natural protected land, reducing pollution and an education system that "empowers parents, encourages kids to think for themselves, and puts an end to the political brainwashing."

Michael McGuire

Michael "Mick" McGuire formerly served as the adjutant general of the Arizona National Guard and director of the Arizona Department of Energy and Military Affairs before retiring in April.

McGuire's campaign website lists his campaign policies, including Advanced American Exceptionalism, securing the border, which he describes as finishing the wall and providing resources to border agents to stop the "flood of drugs" and illegal crossings.

McGuire also lists protecting life, defending the Second Amendment and upholding the U.S. Constitution.

McGuire served as the state's adjutant general from 2013-2021 and worked to help lead the state's COVID-19 pandemic response.

Election guide: 2022 primaries

U.S. Senate | Governor |Secretary of state|Legislature | Treasurer | County attorney |Attorney general| District 1 | District 3 | District 4|District 6|District 8| District 9 | City council

Justin Olson

Justin Olson served as an Arizona state representative from 2011 to 2017 and was appointed to the Arizona Corporation Commission in 2017.

Olson states on his campaign site he is running for Senate "to decrease the size, scope and reach of the federal government." Olsen also states that as a senator, "I will fight relentlessly for secure borders, the right to life, and the Second Amendment."

On his campaign website, Olson lists his campaign issues, including a "multi-part plan to securing our border" by finishing the border wall, properly equipping Border Patrol officers, forcing employers to E-verify immigration status and enforcing employer sanctions. Olson aims to cut government sending, stating that as a state representative he "cut wasteful spending, reduced income tax rates," and he will do the same in the Senate.

As a senator, he said he would vote to appoint conservative judges. Other issues listed include supporting election integrity reforms, fighting Big Tech censorship, keeping Critical Race Theory out of schools and supporting law enforcement.

Libertarian

Marc Victor

Marc Victor, a criminal law specialist and U.S Marine veteran, is running as a Libertarian and describes himself as a "live and let live guy." The Live and Let Live movement, founded by Victor, is a peace-focused movement centered around the Live and Let Live Principle.

Victor's campaign issues follow the Live and Let Live legal principles, or 3L Legal Principle, which stands against aggressors who violate a person's right to, "control their body, property, money, or time," according to his campaign website.

Victor's top campaign issues on his website include health care, including the stance that someone paying for another person's health care is a violation of the 3L Legal Principle and only the free market can create a fair market price for health care.

On immigration, Victor is a fan of the United States immigration policy in the late 1800s to early 1900s, when immigrants legally came and weren't granted financial benefits.

Victor also supports legalizing gambling, saying legalization should not equal a formal encouragement of the act.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Who's running for U.S. Senate? Here are the major candidates