[7] Before opening his legal practice, Kelly spent 13 years as an investigator for the Connecticut Department of Social Services.

[8] Since 2011, he has been a State Senator, representing part of the Naugatuck River Valley in the Connecticut Senate, including all of the town of Shelton and part of the towns of Monroe, Seymour, and Stratford.

[5] In 2018, Kelly won a fifth term in the Senate, defeating Democratic nominee Monica Tujak Brill.

[10] In November 2020, the Senate Republican caucus elected Kelly to the post of Senate Minority Leader, replacing Len Fasano, who retired; Kelly appointed Paul Formica as his deputy.

[7] In the state Senate, Kelly has championed efforts to make pregnancy a "qualifying life event" for purposes of health insurance enrollment; the legislation was supported by the Connecticut Commission on Women, Children and Seniors.