if senator mc cain retires do we have a competitive democratic candidate for the seat?

[drray23]

I am not wishing any ill health to Mc Cain, I hope he recovers. However, if he does decide to retire , do we have any hope of getting that seat in 2018 or whenever the arizona law says that the seat must be put up for elections ?

[sabbat hunter]

1. yup Gabby Giffords n/t

[Control-Z]

3. Is Gabby looking for a Senate seat?

I thought she had decided to leave politics.

[sabbat hunter]

8. No

she said in 2012 that she wanted to concentrate on her health but wanted to return to public service in the future. Here is a great opportunity for her.

[Control-Z]

9. It would be great to see her back.

I would bet that she's a little less moderate now than she was before the opposition nearly got her killed.

[crazycatlady]

10. What about her husband

[grantcart]

12. Everyone who knows the Giffords personally state Mark Kelly is possible but Gabby is not

although both have left the door open.

There is an organized effort to draft Mark Kelly.

https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2017/6/4/1668887/-AZ-Dems-Seek-to-Draft-Astronaut-Mark-Kelly-for-US-Senate

Frankly I would like to Kelly to run as an independent which would guarantee a big win, IMO.

[itcfish]

2. Very Red State

Don't have much hope for it.

[haele]

4. It's been trending more purple.

Even though Arizona is home of Goldwater nation, the Evil'ngelicals have been opening doors for more moderate Democrats over the years. The Republicans have been eating their own for decades, turning more cartoonish over the years.
Zonies are getting tired of that, especially since their economy has been struggling since the MIC manufacturing work has been moving out of state, farming has gone pretty much corporate, and they haven't been able to woo California businesses with their tax cuts as they were during the '90's.

Haele

[Zambero]

5. And unlike most states, HRC did better in AZ than Obama did

Arizona appears to be trending in the same direction that formerly red Colorado has been. The Trump train wreck and its negative impact on the GOP will nudge some red zones into purple territory.

[itcfish]

13. Well that is promising

n/t

[grantcart]

11. Not true. Trump won by only 3%

The Republicans dominate the state house and governor house because of the big drop off in off year elections.

If Hispanics in AZ voted at the same rate as AA nation wide the state would have gone for Clinton.

Until recently AZ had 6 Democrats and 5 Republicans in Congress now it is 5 and 6.

Democrats dominate both Phoenix and Tucson where Republicans don't even bother to run candidates for mayor and most city council positions.

Mark Kelly would win in a landslide IMO>

[drray23]

6. so Jeff Flake is up in 2018 and he is considered vulnerable

Maybe this means that a potential McCain seat would also be. What about Kirkpatrick who tried last time to challenge McCain ?

[former9thward]

7. Kyrsten Sinema CD-9 is the only one who has a chance at beating Flake.

She has declined to run against him. She would stand a better chance in an open seat if McCain left.