McSally Senate Bid Moves AZ-02 to Lean Democratic
Arizona GOP Rep. Martha McSally (AZ-02) uncorked one of the worst kept secrets of 2018 by announcing her bid for Senate today. Over her two terms, McSally has cultivated a popular profile as a trailblazing fighter pilot and moderate Republican who fought for Pentagon funding for Tucson's A-10 Warthog. It allowed her to win reelection with 57 percent in 2016 while Hillary Clinton carried the district 49 percent to 44 percent.
But without McSally, Republicans may struggle to hold this district. In fact, Democrats are hoping for a scenario in which McSally loses the GOP Senate nomination to a more conservative candidate and moderate Republicans abandon the ticket altogether, allowing Democrats to waltz into this middle-of-the-road seat.
McSally's votes for the Republican health care and tax bills had already made her the target of Democratic attacks, and it makes sense that McSally is running for Senate: President Trump lost the 2nd CD, but won statewide in 2016. Some Republicans are optimistic Tucson Hispanic Chamber of Commerce President Lea Marquez-Peterson has the right profile to keep the seat in GOP hands, but she almost certainly won't have the primary field to herself.
https://www.cookpolitical.com/analysis/house/arizona-house/mcsally-senate-bid-moves-az-02-lean-democratic
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