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Republicans Move to Derail Roy Moore

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“Republicans are promising to do everything they can to obliterate Roy Moore in the Alabama Senate primary,” Politico reports.

“A push is underway to get President Donald Trump involved in derailing Moore. Republicans are actively moving to recruit Jeff Sessions to run for his old seat. And GOP leaders are warning the party will jeopardize perhaps its only chance at picking up a Senate seat next year if they let Democrat Doug Jones get his favored match-up.”

Said Sen. Martha McSally (R-AZ): “Give me a break. This place has enough creepy old men.”

Gallego Won’t Run for Senate in Arizona

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Rep. Ruben Gallego (D-AZ) will not run for the U.S. Senate in 2020’s special election, he told the Arizona Republic, clearing the path for retired astronaut Mark Kelly (D) to take on incumbent Sen. Martha McSally (R-AZ) without a potentially bruising primary fight.

“Gallego’s decision will disappoint progressive Democrats, who represent the left flank of the party and are especially hostile toward President Trump.”

Mark Kelly to Run for Senate In Arizona

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Mark Kelly, former astronaut and husband to former Rep. Gabby Giffords (D-AZ), released a video announcing his campaign to challenge appointed Sen. Martha McSally (R-AZ) In 2020.

USA Today: “McSally is considered one of the most vulnerable Republican senators heading into the 2020 election. McSally is a former Air Force pilot and was the first woman to fly combat missions.”

Kelly Moves Closer to Senate Bid In Arizona

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“Retired astronaut Mark Kelly is taking steps toward a bid against Sen. Martha McSally (R-AZ) in 2020, identifying potential staffers and strategists and meeting with Democrats around Arizona — though his allies say no final decision has been made,” The Hill reports.

“Democratic sources said Kelly, the husband of former Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D), has been calling and meeting with top Democratic activists in Arizona since late last year.”

Arizona Republicans Gamble on McSally

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Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey (R) and the GOP are definitely taking a gamble on appointing Rep. Martha McSally (R) to the U.S. Senate, “who will have several challenges to confront as she tries to keep the seat in GOP hands in 2020,” according to First Read:

  • Prove herself to Arizona voters after 50 percent voted for someone else;
  • Protect herself from a credible primary challenge from the right;
  • Navigate being a Republican in the Trump Era;
  • And prepare for a top contest from the Democrats in November 2020, when the electorate won’t be fundamentally different from what we saw last November.

“Then again, who was going to be a better candidate for Republicans? McSally, after all, is an outgoing GOP congresswoman; her military service made history; and she’s run in plenty of tough races before.”

McSally Appointed to Senate Seat

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Rep. Martha McSally (R-AZ) will replace retiring Sen. Jon Kyl (R-AZ) to fill for the next two years the Senate seat long held by the late Sen. John McCain, the Arizona Republic reports.

Gov. Doug Ducey’s (R) decision to appoint McSally, announced in a statement Tuesday and effective next month, revives her political life less than two months after she narrowly lost the race for the state’s other Senate seat to Kyrsten Sinema (D).

Kyl Will Resign from Senate

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Sen. Jon Kyl (R-AZ) will resign from the U.S. Senate on Dec. 31, the Arizona Republic has confirmed, setting up a second appointment by Gov. Doug Ducey (R) to the seat once occupied by the late John McCain.

Ducey is required under law to name another Republican to the seat. A replacement to the Senate seat “will be announced in the near future,” according to the Governor’s Office.

McSally Loses Favor for Senate Appointment

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Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey (R) “has lost enthusiasm for appointing fellow Republican Rep. Martha McSally to the Senate in recent weeks even as Republican leaders in Washington have championed her,” the Washington Post reports.

“Ducey has made no firm decision and McSally, who narrowly lost this year’s Senate race, remains a finalist to fill the seat that John McCain held for decades, should it soon open up as expected. But her stock has fallen in the eyes of the governor, according to two people familiar with his thinking, as Ducey approaches one of the most significant decisions of his political career.”

Republicans Split on Possible Arizona Senate Appointment

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“Days after the midterm election, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey spoke privately about a sensitive topic with far-reaching implications — the Senate seat that John McCain held for three decades before his death in August,” the Washington Post reports.

“In a telephone call confirmed by two people familiar with the conversation, McConnell (R-KY) told Ducey: If there is an opening, consider appointing Martha ­McSally, the Republican congresswoman who came up short in her bid for Arizona’s other Senate seat this year.”

“But some Republicans in Arizona, including those in Ducey’s inner circle, have reservations about appointing McSally. They have questioned her campaign’s strategic decisions and wondered why she was not able to win in a state that President Trump carried in 2016 and where Ducey coasted to reelection this year.”

McConnell Wants McSally Appointed to Replace Kyl

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Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) “is leveraging his political power to try to convince Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey (R) to choose Rep. Martha McSally (R-AZ) to replace Sen. Jon Kyl (R-AZ), who is considering leaving his seat before his term ends,” CNN reports.

“McSally, a Republican congresswoman who once worked for Kyl, lost her Senate bid two weeks ago to Democratic Rep. Kyrsten Sinema. Kyl, who was picked by the governor in September to fill the seat vacated by the late Sen. John McCain. told CNN last week he has decided whether to leave office before his term ends at the end of next year. He wouldn’t reveal his decision, but said he will talk to Ducey about it.”

McSally Concedes Arizona Senate Race

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Martha McSally (R), who was locked in a too-close-to-call race with Kyrsten Sinema (D), called her opponent and conceded Monday after Sinema’s lead widened, the Arizona Republic reports.

“The concession marked the end of a heated neck-and-neck battle between McSally and Sinema over who would fill the seat Sen. Jeff Flake (R-AZ) decided not to defend.”

Sinema’s Lead Keeps Growing

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Kyrsten Sinema (D) again widened her lead again over Martha McSally (R), “a pivotal day in the U.S. Senate race as the number of uncounted ballots dwindled,” the Arizona Republic reports.

“Sinema expanded her lead to 32,640 votes — a 1.5 percentage-point lead. Her campaign manager predicted her victory was inevitable.”

About Political Wire

goddard-bw-snapshotTaegan Goddard is the founder of Political Wire, one of the earliest and most influential political web sites. He also runs Political Job Hunt, Electoral Vote Map and the Political Dictionary.

Goddard spent more than a decade as managing director and chief operating officer of a prominent investment firm in New York City. Previously, he was a policy adviser to a U.S. Senator and Governor.

Goddard is also co-author of You Won - Now What? (Scribner, 1998), a political management book hailed by prominent journalists and politicians from both parties. In addition, Goddard's essays on politics and public policy have appeared in dozens of newspapers across the country.

Goddard earned degrees from Vassar College and Harvard University. He lives in New York with his wife and three sons.

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