Posted on 08/26/2018 7:17:11 PM PDT by yesthatjallen
For more than a year, Cindy McCain kept Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey (R) and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) updated on her husband's valiant battle against brain cancer.
Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) ended that final battle on Saturday, passing away just four days before his 82nd birthday, 32 years after winning his first term in the Senate.
Now it falls to Ducey to choose McCain's successor. The first-term governor has already begun considering a list of potential replacements, according to four Republicans either familiar with Ducey's thinking or close to those who have been involved in initial discussions.
But Ducey, both conscious of McCain's status as one of the nation's most respected statesmen and war heroes and nervous about his own reelection bid this November, has squelched speculation about who might inherit McCain's seat.
A spokesman in Ducey's office declined to comment. None of the Republicans familiar with Ducey's thinking agreed to speak on the record, in order to detail private and sensitive conversations.
Most speculation focused on three potential candidates: Maj. Gen. Michael McGuire, the director of the Arizona Department of Emergency and Military Affairs and the adjutant general of the state's Army and Air National Guards; Karrin Taylor Robson, a wealthy businesswoman whom Ducey appointed to the state Board of Regents in 2017; and Kirk Adams, a former state House Speaker who is now Ducey's chief of staff.
Several sources also pointed to former Sen. Jon Kyl (R), McCain's longtime seatmate who is now shepherding Judge Brett Kavanaugh's nomination to the Supreme Court, and former Rep. John Shadegg (R), who left Congress in 2011.
The New York Times on Sunday added state Treasurer Eileen Klein (R) and Barbara Barrett, a former ambassador to Finland under President George W. Bush.
Ducey is said to be acutely aware of what Arizona's conservative activists -- those who most closely follow and approve of President Trump -- are thinking. Ducey needs those voters for his own reelection bid, and he is likely to consider his own political future, one that would benefit from a close relationship with Trump. Ducey is already close with Vice President Pence.
Those relationships mean that other potential Senate candidates once thought to be under consideration have fallen victim to political circumstance.
Cindy McCain, who may have served as a caretaker of her husband's seat, is no longer seen as a potential appointee. Grant Woods, John McCain's first congressional chief of staff and a candidate long seen as McCain's choice to take his seat, endorsed Hillary Clinton in 2016, likely making him a nonstarter with the White House.
Several potential candidates who began jockeying for an appointment late last year were so public about their ostensibly private bids that they effectively played themselves out of contention. In a radio interview last year, Ducey said those who were "openly lobbying for this position, they've basically disqualified themselves by showing their true character."
Republicans close to Ducey interpreted his remarks as chin music meant for Rep. Paul Gosar (R), former Rep. Matt Salmon (R) and former state Sen. Kelli Ward (R).
Gosar, a hyper-conservative member of the House Freedom Caucus, is almost certainly a nonstarter, even before his overt campaigning for the seat angered Ducey. Salmon, now the chief lobbyist for Arizona State University, was seen as indelicate in sending out feelers about the possibility of winning the appointment. And Ward is likely to lose Tuesday's Republican primary to replace retiring Sen. Jeff Flake (R) to a more establishment rival, making her appointment unlikely.
Whomever Ducey chooses to replace McCain will serve in the Senate until 2020, when Arizona voters will choose someone to fill the two remaining years of the term McCain won in 2016.
Ducey said Saturday he would wait until McCain is buried before he names a successor. McCain will lie in state in both the Arizona and the U.S. Capitol, before he is buried at the U.S. Naval Academy's cemetery in Annapolis, Md.
Why feel pressure? The state went without representation for over a year because of selfishness. Appoint someone the people want. How hard is this?
Trashy fake news starts weak, goes off the rails from there, and then its ashes are scattered when it calls the arms dealer to ISIS a “respected statesman.”
Good, sounds like Cindy isn’t in the running.
Have a meting with Ward/McSally. One will get appointed. McSally would run again in 2020 & 2022. Is it more of a gamble to have Ward do that? Appointing McSally would be going for broke THIS November with Ward. Make one of them PROMISE to support the other in November if appointed. It has to be done Monday. On Tuesday Ducey faces the music. Show some onions dude.
I’m sure Juan suggested (either directly or via Cindy) that he would resign if a family member got the appointment. Gov. Ducey did not take the bait then. I doubt he will do so now.
This sentence makes no sense at all. If she won the primary, she would be fighting for Flake's seat, and it would be stupid to appoint her to McCain's.
The sentence is a heads I win, tails you lose non-argument.
Fantastic idea. Doubt Ducey will follow it.
It would make him look good, though.
The ignoramuses of Arizona will just elect another McCain clone.
Plant McStain tomorrow with a cactus tree up his Azz and move on!
and looking at Ducey’s wiki page, he seems like a bonifide MAGA guy so hopefully his pick will be good.
A McSally appointed will face the music TWICE. 2020 + 2022. Plenty of opportunities to throw her out on her ear. Trump will beat her like a drum.
Under Pressure? Cue David Bowie.
I would like to add that Grant Woods is a nasty sarcastic RINO of the worst kind, just as bad as McCain. Woods is currently a greedy scumbag tort lawyer. His b*tchy second wife, Marlene Galan, regularly posts nasty comments about DJT on her Facebook page.
There would be widespread outrage if Ducey was stupid enough to appoint Grant Woods.
Or Billy Joel.
Yeah, but Vanilla Ice used the Base line that Bowie created.
McCain could vote, but could not be in contact with the Governor? What? His wife had to do it?
He is finished if he appoints that worthless trust baby that never had a job in her life.i assure you.
He is finished if he appoints that worthless trust baby that never had a job in her life.i assure you.
He is finished if he appoints that worthless trust baby that never had a job in her life.i assure you.
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