As popular Republican Senator John McCain of Arizona, seeks his sixth term, a potential opponent emerged on Tuesday after Democratic Rep. Ann Kirkpatrick, a lawmaker of three terms entered the Senate race.
Kirkpatrick said that in Arizona people tell it straight and lets get to it. She made that statement during an announcement of her campaign on a video and added that she loved the state and was running for the U.S. Senate.
McCain, who will be 80 prior to Election Day in November 2016, is not likely to draw an House member from the Republican Party in the primary, but facing Kilpatrick, who is strong funds, could prove to be a tough test for the former presidential nominee for the Republicans.
A spokesperson for McCain did not respond immediately to reporters requests for comments.
The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee accepted Kirkpatrick’s decision to run with open arms. The committee’s communication’s director said that John McCain since 2008 had supported the plans to gut Social Security and Medicare, repeatedly voted to try to shut down the U.S. government and has been the angry, bitter face of the partisan dysfunction of Congress.
He added that if McCain wins the Republican primary for the senate in Arizona, then the Democrats would be committed to running the strongest possible campaign to defeat him.
As for the district left open by Kirkpatrick, it will be one of the most contested races in the House during the 2016 cycle, but Democrats believe that the year of the presidential elections will increase the number of voters who turn out.
News of the senate candidacy by Kirkpatrick quickly went viral as many feel she would be the one to unseat the six-time member of the senate.
