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| Martha McSally beats Joe Arpaio and Kelli Ward to win Arizona Republican primary | Martha McSally beats Joe Arpaio and Kelli Ward to win Arizona Republican primary |
| (about 3 hours later) | |
| Congresswoman Martha McSally, the Republican establishment favorite, fended off competitive challenges from the far-right to face Kyrsten Sinema, a Democratic congresswoman from Phoenix, setting the stage for one of the most anticipated open-seat Senate elections this year. | Congresswoman Martha McSally, the Republican establishment favorite, fended off competitive challenges from the far-right to face Kyrsten Sinema, a Democratic congresswoman from Phoenix, setting the stage for one of the most anticipated open-seat Senate elections this year. |
| McSally, an air force fighter pilot, easily defeated Kelli Ward, a hardline former state senator, and Joe Arpaio, the former Maricopa County sheriff whose criminal conviction was pardoned by Donald Trump last year, in a primary that became a test of the candidates’ allegiance to the president. Sinema meanwhile soared past progressive activist Deedra Abboud. The outcome guarantees Arizona will elect its first female senator in November. | |
| Republicans are trying to defend the seat vacated by retiring GOP senator Jeff Flake, whose persistent criticism of Trump made him unpopular with conservative voters. The contest could determine who controls the Senate in November. | |
| Trump remained neutral in the Republican primary. On Tuesday evening, he endorsed McSally. | |
| “Martha McSally, running in the Arizona Primary for U.S. Senate, was endorsed by rejected Senator Jeff Flake....and turned it down - a first!,” Trump said, apparently referring to comments she made earlier in the day when she declined to say whether Flake had served the state well. | |
| “Now Martha, a great US Military fighter jet pilot and highly respected member of Congress, WINS BIG. Congratulations, and on to November!” | |
| The Arizona primary came just three days after the death on Saturday of the state’s longtime senator John McCain. | |
| “It’s difficult to celebrate anything this week as we mourn the loss of Senator McCain,” McSally said, addressing her supporters at a victory party in Tempe. She then turned sharply to her opponent, who she nicknamed “Hollywood Sinema” in a jab at the Democrat’s “makeover” from liberal to moderate. | |
| “This is how I see this campaign,” McSally said. “It’s a choice between a doer and a talker, between a patriot and a protester.” | “This is how I see this campaign,” McSally said. “It’s a choice between a doer and a talker, between a patriot and a protester.” |
| The line, which drew wild applause, is a reference to the searing campaign ad McSally launched against Sinema last week. The commercial contrasts imagery of McSally in uniform with footage of Sinema protesting against the Iraq war in a pink tutu. “How did you guys like those side-by-side outfits?” she said, drawing laughs. | |
| In a statement acknowledging her primary win, Sinema made no mention of McSally. She also honored McCain for his example of “always putting country over party”. | |
| “Tonight, we look ahead and continue fighting to uphold the values we all share: a fair shot at the American dream and an unwavering commitment to the Arizona we love,” she said. | |
| During the Republican primary, the candidates exchanged vicious insults while highlighting their closeness to the president. Ward and Arpaio attacked McSally for her evolution from Trump critic to ardent supporter. The late August primary leaves 10 weeks before the general election for McSally to hone a message that appeals to the president’s loyalist base and doesn’t alienate independent voters and a minority population. | |
| Across Arizona, Democrats turned out to vote in record numbers. It’s a welcome sign of enthusiasm for the party in a state that hasn’t sent a Democrat to the Senate in 30 years. | |
| In a statement, Arizona Democratic party chairwoman Felecia Rotellini said McSally will “say and do whatever she thinks will get her ahead” and accused her of embracing a “destructive GOP agenda that aims to slash healthcare access, Medicare and social security, education funding, and privacy rights for Arizonans”. | In a statement, Arizona Democratic party chairwoman Felecia Rotellini said McSally will “say and do whatever she thinks will get her ahead” and accused her of embracing a “destructive GOP agenda that aims to slash healthcare access, Medicare and social security, education funding, and privacy rights for Arizonans”. |
| For months Arizona voters have seen Sinema’s ads touting her “record of independence”, said Chuck Coughlin, a veteran Republican strategist in the state, and that will make it harder for McSally to make the case that she is “too liberal” for Arizona. | For months Arizona voters have seen Sinema’s ads touting her “record of independence”, said Chuck Coughlin, a veteran Republican strategist in the state, and that will make it harder for McSally to make the case that she is “too liberal” for Arizona. |
| Sinema “is the best politician in the state by far because she can be anything you want her to be”, he said. “She’s very charming. She’s warm.” | Sinema “is the best politician in the state by far because she can be anything you want her to be”, he said. “She’s very charming. She’s warm.” |
| But, he added, “her record doesn’t speak to her being a moderate Democrat and we can expect to hear a lot more about who is the real Kyrsten Sinema and what does she stand for.” | But, he added, “her record doesn’t speak to her being a moderate Democrat and we can expect to hear a lot more about who is the real Kyrsten Sinema and what does she stand for.” |
| Both Senate candidates have compelling personal stories. McSally, a graduate of the Naval Academy, was the first American woman to fly in combat. | Both Senate candidates have compelling personal stories. McSally, a graduate of the Naval Academy, was the first American woman to fly in combat. |
| Sinema grew up poor – her family lived for three years in an abandoned gas station without running water and relied on food stamps for a while. Before entering politics, she was a social worker. | Sinema grew up poor – her family lived for three years in an abandoned gas station without running water and relied on food stamps for a while. Before entering politics, she was a social worker. |
| A contest between Sinema and McSally is one of the most evenly matched of the cycle, said Jennifer Duffy, a senior editor at the non-partisan Cook Political Report, who is tracking Senate races. | A contest between Sinema and McSally is one of the most evenly matched of the cycle, said Jennifer Duffy, a senior editor at the non-partisan Cook Political Report, who is tracking Senate races. |
| “What makes this race unique is that in almost every criteria, they’re equally qualified in terms of money and campaign experience,” she said. “It really is a toss-up.” | “What makes this race unique is that in almost every criteria, they’re equally qualified in terms of money and campaign experience,” she said. “It really is a toss-up.” |
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