Kelly is a native of Southern Califonia who currently resides in Murrieta.  He has been married for 35 years and he and his wife have raised three daughters.  Kelly is a 35 year veteran of the fire service, starting his career as a paid reserve for La Verne Fire department, then serving 18 years with the City of Inglewood before finishing his career as a Battalion Chief for the Los Angeles County Fire Department.  

Kelly became involved in local politics in 1997 after being elected to the Murrieta City Council.  He went on to serve a total of 13 years on the council and served as Mayor for 4 years.  While on the council, Kelly represented the City on numerous county boards and commissions.  He served as the President of the Mayors and Councils department for the League of California Cities and also Chaired the Public Safety Committee in 2006.  In 2019, Kelly received the Outstanding Public Servant award from the Riverside Division of the League of Cities.  In 2020, Kelly was elected to the California State Assembly to represent the 67th Assembly District.

While working as a firefighter and raising a family, Kelly took the opportunity to attend College where he earned an A.S. Degree in Fire Science from Mt. SAC, a B.S. Degree in Fire Administration and Technology from CSU Los Angeles, and finally a Masters Degree (MPA) in Public Administration from  CSU Long Beach.

Currently, as a member of the State Assembly, Kelly serves on 8 committees.  He is Vice Chair of Elections, Housing and Community Development, and Emergency Management.  He also serves on Natural Resources, Labor and Employment, Public Safety, Rev and Tax and PERS.