In 2007, Mark was the Republican candidate for Clerk of the Circuit Court for Arlington County and the City of Falls Church, and has been a member of the Arlington County Republican Committee since 2004.

He worked full time on two successful races for U.S. Congress, one as a Campaign Manager and one as a Grassroots Coordinator.  

Mark served six years as a Congressional Chief of Staff where he led a team of people, reached out to every aspect of the Republican coalition, and helped raise millions of dollars in contributions.

He spent 10 years on Capitol Hill, gaining valuable experience in fostering positive public policy ideas based on core Republican principles.  

Now, Mark works at The Heritage Foundation in Washington.

Mark wants to put this comprehensive experience in campaigns and public policy to work for the Arlington County Republican Committee.  

Mark and his wife Keirsten have lived in Arlington since they were married in 2000. The Kelly’s have three children – Layne, age 5, Mia, age 3, and Luke, age 1. 

The Kelly family attends and volunteers their time at the DC Metro Church.

A 1996 graduate from Regent University School of Law in Virginia Beach, Mark passed the Virginia Bar the same year. He received an undergraduate degree in Political Science, History and Economics from Indiana Wesleyan University in 1993.  Mark was named Outstanding Alumnus in Political Science for Indiana Wesleyan in 2004.