AZ-SEN Class 1: Kelli or not-Kelli?

[MarkD]

Looks like Sinema is in; Stanton to run in Sinema's vacated seat

Isn't this a definite maybe that she might run? She is quoted as saying that she will make an announcement -- whether she will run against Flake -- in a few weeks.

[MarkD]

Kelli Ward is not a good candidate. I wish there was somebody else. At this rate, the seat will be gone.

Still any chance that DeWit jumps in and Trump actually ends up backing him? It would look really bad after that tweet, but he's clearly much better and saner. Last night, the Washington Times reported hat Trump was leaning towards supporting DeWit, who was still eyeing the race, but this morning seems to have changed things.

these articles came out earlier and cited sources that said trump was comping to town to endorse dewitt. It could appear trump was going to back any challenger to Flake, Dewitt might have backed out late last nigh which would explain why the tweet was so late. Trump was going to back anyone. Dewitt backed out so he moved on to plan B which was Ward

http://www.azcentral.com/story/opinion/op-ed/laurieroberts/2017/08/16/roberts-trump-headed-phoenix-endorse-flake-challenger/573151001/

http://m.washingtontimes.com/news/2017/aug/16/trump-expected-endorse-challenger-jeff-flake/

might I add both articles were published before the tweet, so even if the sources weren't right about Dewitt they could be right about traveling to make an endorsement against Flake.

Ah, thanks. So it seems like Trump was just going for "any challenger" rather than a calculated move. What about Graham (or Frank's or Schweikert) who were also considering? I guess Flake still has a chance, but this will really hurt Republicans in Arizona. I think it'll have a 2 Democrat Senate delegation VERY soon.

How about a pharmacist/political novice, like this guy? According to FEC reports, he has raised no money yet.
Nicolas Tutora

I'm just joking. I scan through The Green Papers looking for people who are not yet posted in Wikipedia that they are candidates, and once in a while I come with someone like this.

[MarkD]

If I were in Flake's shoes, I would welcome Arpaio to the race. The more, the merrier.
After all, Arizona does not have a run-off election system after a primary in which there were, to use an example, three candidates, and one candidate ended with 34% of the primary votes, while the other two had 33% each. Or if there are four candidates, the one who got 26% beats the two who had 25% each and the fourth who had 24%.
Flake does not need 50.01% of the votes. He doesn't even need 40%. He just needs more votes than any of the others.
Arpaio would take Republican votes from Ward, not from Flake.

[MarkD]

Based on her voting record for her first two years, I would say McSally is a moderate Republican, not a conservative like her four other Republican colleagues in the Arizona delegation. Her approval ratings from American Conservative Union are 58 in 2015 and 76 in 2016. The other Republicans in the Arizona House delegation are the type of Republicans who usually get scores in the 90s and often up to 100%.