Mark Kelly's Next Career: Senator?

Mark Kelly’s sudden retirement from NASA and the Navy has Washington a-tizzy with speculation that he’ll jump into the race for Jon Kyl’s Senate seat in Arizona. So far, Gabrielle Giffords is polling higher than any of the other potential Democratic candidates for the seat, but since it’s unclear if her health would permit that, many are floating her Gulf War vet/astronaut husband, the Washington Post reports.

Kelly dropped this tantalizing hint this week on his Facebook page: “After some time off, I will look at new opportunities and am hopeful that one day I will again serve our country.” Right now, Kelly and Giffords are staying at his home in Texas, but Kelly traveled to Tucson last weekend, and said they’d be moving back there soon. “Gabby misses Tucson very much,” he said, “and her doctors have said that returning to her hometown could play an important role in her recovery.” (More Mark Kelly stories.)