McCain Replacement Senator Jon Kyl Resigning at Year’s End

McCain Replacement Senator Jon Kyl Resigning at Year’s End

December 14, 2018, 2:54 PM

McCain Replacement Senator Jon Kyl Resigning at Year's End

FILE - Former Sen. Jon Kyl, R-Ariz., talks about his appointment by Gov. Doug Ducey, R-Ariz., to fill Sen. John McCain's seat in the U.S. Senate at a news conference at the Arizona Capitol, Sept. 4, 2018.
FILE – Former Sen. Jon Kyl, R-Ariz., talks about his appointment by Gov. Doug Ducey, R-Ariz., to fill Sen. John McCain's seat in the U.S. Senate at a news conference at the Arizona Capitol, Sept. 4, 2018.

PHOENIX —

Senator Jon Kyl announced his resignation Friday from the seat he was appointed to less than four months ago following the death of John McCain, giving Republican Arizona Govenor Doug Ducey a second opportunity to fill the slot.

Kyl, 76, had said he was only serving through the end of the year. His resignation is effective Dec. 31 and forces a pivotal decision by the state's Republican governor.

That's because voters in 2020 will get to decide who fills McCain's seat for the final two years of its six-year term. Democrats picked up Arizona's other Senate seat in November and are already targeting the state in 2020 as part of their possible path to re-taking control of the Senate, increasing the pressure on Ducey to select someone who can hold the seat for the GOP.

Ducey said he will pick a replacement "in the near future." His office has been typically tight-lipped about who might fill the seat, leading to wild speculation in Arizona and Washington.

FILE - Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey speaks an event in Buckeye, Arizona, Aug. 14, 2017.
FILE – Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey speaks an event in Buckeye, Arizona, Aug. 14, 2017.

One of the most often-mentioned names is Ducey's chief of staff, Kirk Adams, a onetime state lawmaker who resigned from the governor's office on Nov. 26 and whose last day working for Ducey is Friday.

Eileen Klein, whom Ducey appointed as Arizona's state treasurer last year, is another possibility. The most prominent name is Representative Martha McSally, who is fresh off narrowly losing this year's senate race to Democrat Kyrsten Sinema.

Democrats are already lining up to challenge whoever is selected. Those testing the waters include U.S. Representative Ruben Gallego, former astronaut and gun control advocate Mark Kelly and former Arizona Attorney General Grant Woods, a onetime McCain chief of staff who became a Democrat this year and a top Sinema booster.

Ducey's selection of the well-respected Kyl following McCain's Aug. 25 death allowed him to dodge a possible controversial pick during his own re-election campaign. But Kyl, who had previously served in the Senate for Arizona, made it clear he only agreed to the appointment out of a sense of duty and had no plans to stay in the job for long.

Kyl's brief resignation letter said he decided to resign at the end of 2018 so that Ducey's new appointee "can begin the new term with all other senators in January 2019 and can serve a full two (potentially four) years."

Kyl noted that when he accepted Ducey's appointment that he agreed to serve through December and then re-evaluate whether to serve longer.

"Senator Kyl didn't need to return to the Senate," Ducey said in a statement. "His legacy as one of Arizona's most influential and important political figures was already without question. But he did return, and I remain deeply grateful for his willingness to step up and serve again when Arizona needed him. I wish him and his family all the best."

McCain died at age 81 at his ranch near Sedona, Arizona, just over a year after he announced he had glioblastoma, an aggressive brain cancer that came with a dire diagnosis.

Original Article

JOIN US THIS WEEKEND FOR OUR STUDENT ACTION SUMMIT (SAS) LIVE COVERAGE

STUDENT ACTION SUMMIT (SAS) 2025

THE DAWN OF LIBERTY - INDEPENDENCE DAY SPECIAL

AMERICA 250 - A NEW ERA OF AMERICAN GREATNESS

Join us for this special presentation by America 250 "A New Era Of American Greatness", Thursday at 3PM ET.

WATCH BRICS 2025: THE RIO RESET

CATCH THE LATEST STEVE GRUBER SHOW

WATCH THE AMERICAN SUNRISE SHOW M-F AT 7AM ET.

WATCH THE LATEST EDITION OF WAR ROOM WITH STEVE BANNON

CATCH THE CHARLIE KIRK SHOW M-F AT 12NOON ET.

HUMAN EVENTS DAILYWITH JACK POSOBIEC

CATCH THE LATEST AMERICA'S VOICE LIVE SHOW

JOIN THE ERIC BOLLING SHOW M-F AT 4PM ET.

THE GRANT STINCHFIELD TONIGHT SHOW M-F AT 7PM ET.

LIVE FROM STUDIO 6B M-F AT 8PM ET.

TURNING POINT TONIGHT SHOW M-TH AT 10PM ET.

WATCH THIS WEEK'S BREAKING POINT WITH DAVID ZERE

CATCH THE ROYCE WHITE SHOW EVERY SATURDAY MORNING AT 9AM ET.

WATCH AMERICA SHINES WITH AUBREY SHINES SATURDAYS AT 2PM ET.

LAST CALL WITH MIKE CRISPI - SATURDAYS AT 8PM ET.

WATCH THE LATEST LAW & BORDER WITH BEN BERGQUAM

WATCH THE LATEST COWBOY LOGIC BARN PARTY

WATCH THE SHEMANE NUGENT FAITH & FREEDOM SHOW SUNDAYS AT 10AM ET.

MEDIA EXPOSED WITH ADAM WEISS SUNDAYS AT 6PM ET.

SUNDAY IN AMERICA WITH BRIAN GLENN AT 7PM ET.

JOIN US ON GETTR!

CHECK OUT THE LATEST TED NUGENT SPIRIT CAMPFIRE SHOW

JOIN US IN LIVE CHAT 24/7 ON RUMBLE

JOIN US ON OUR 24/7 LIVE RUMBLE STREAM