Minnesota and Mississippi may be joined by yet another State – Arizona. The nature of this exclusive club? Hosting not one, but two Senate races later this year.
This is brought about by the potential retirement of Senator McCain (R-AZ), currently battling a glioblastoma (brain cancer). While I admire Senator McCain and regard him as an erratic member of the better half of the GOP, there’s little use in pretending there’s no change he’ll choose to retire before the end of his term in 2020. WaPo has details on a deadline:
If McCain vacates his seat by May 30, there would be primaries in August and a November special election to fill the remainder of his term, provided candidates submit enough signatures to qualify for the ballot, according to Eric Spencer, the election services director in Arizona.
While some close observers contend there is gray area in the way the election laws are written, most agree that if May 30 comes and goes without any vacancy, there would be no election this year and the Ducey appointment, should there eventually be one, would serve through 2020.
This would be yet another seat the Republicans would have to defend unexpectedly, vs only one so far for the Democrats. But who would run? No names, yet, although when McCain first announced his illness, State Senator Kelli Ward demanded that he immediately retire and Governor Ducey (R-AZ) appoint her to his seat. She has since waded into the race for retiring Senator Flake’s (R-AZ) seat, but if two become available, I’d guess the current GOP contenders would split up and cover both races.
All good wishes to Senator McCain, however. He and Flake have tried to be the conscience of the Senate, although their actions have only occasionally backed up their words.
