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| Jon Kyl to Leave Arizona Senate Seat, Setting Up Tussle Over His Replacement | Jon Kyl to Leave Arizona Senate Seat, Setting Up Tussle Over His Replacement |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| WASHINGTON — Senator Jon Kyl, Republican of Arizona, announced Friday that he would resign at the end of the year, again opening up the seat previously held by John McCain and creating a showdown between Republicans in Washington and Arizona over who should replace Mr. Kyl in an increasingly competitive state. | WASHINGTON — Senator Jon Kyl, Republican of Arizona, announced Friday that he would resign at the end of the year, again opening up the seat previously held by John McCain and creating a showdown between Republicans in Washington and Arizona over who should replace Mr. Kyl in an increasingly competitive state. |
| In a letter to Gov. Doug Ducey of Arizona dated Wednesday, Mr. Kyl wrote that he “concluded that it would be best if I resign so that your new appointee can begin the new term with all other senators in January 2019 and can serve a full two (potentially four) years.” | In a letter to Gov. Doug Ducey of Arizona dated Wednesday, Mr. Kyl wrote that he “concluded that it would be best if I resign so that your new appointee can begin the new term with all other senators in January 2019 and can serve a full two (potentially four) years.” |
| A senator-turned-lobbyist, Mr. Kyl agreed to return to the Senate after Mr. McCain’s death in August but committed to staying only through the end of this session of Congress. Many Republicans, including Mr. Ducey, had hoped they could persuade the popular Mr. Kyl to serve longer, but he was said to be eager to return to his lucrative post-congressional life. | A senator-turned-lobbyist, Mr. Kyl agreed to return to the Senate after Mr. McCain’s death in August but committed to staying only through the end of this session of Congress. Many Republicans, including Mr. Ducey, had hoped they could persuade the popular Mr. Kyl to serve longer, but he was said to be eager to return to his lucrative post-congressional life. |
| Now, Mr. Ducey, who handily won re-election in November and is hoping to add his voice to the national debate, is faced with an imminent decision about whom to appoint to serve through the 2020 special election to fill the unexpired remainder of Mr. McCain’s term. | Now, Mr. Ducey, who handily won re-election in November and is hoping to add his voice to the national debate, is faced with an imminent decision about whom to appoint to serve through the 2020 special election to fill the unexpired remainder of Mr. McCain’s term. |
| The governor is facing conflicting pressures at home and in Washington. The Senate majority leader, Mitch McConnell, has made no secret of his desire for Mr. Ducey to tap Representative Martha McSally, the Republican lawmaker who last month lost a race for Arizona’s other Senate seat. | The governor is facing conflicting pressures at home and in Washington. The Senate majority leader, Mitch McConnell, has made no secret of his desire for Mr. Ducey to tap Representative Martha McSally, the Republican lawmaker who last month lost a race for Arizona’s other Senate seat. |
| Ms. McSally is a decorated Air Force veteran and, with only seven Republican women in the Senate as of next month, party leaders are eager to add to those ranks. | Ms. McSally is a decorated Air Force veteran and, with only seven Republican women in the Senate as of next month, party leaders are eager to add to those ranks. |
| Further, with Republicans holding just a three-seat majority going into 2020, and Arizona proving to be more friendly to Democrats in the Trump era, Mr. McConnell and his lieutenants want to elevate somebody who has run statewide and enjoys a substantial fund-raising base. | |
| But some Arizona Republicans close to Mr. Ducey remain angry over Ms. McSally’s loss to Senator-elect Kyrsten Sinema, believing Ms. McSally ran a mediocre campaign; she lost by just over two points while the governor was winning by 16. | But some Arizona Republicans close to Mr. Ducey remain angry over Ms. McSally’s loss to Senator-elect Kyrsten Sinema, believing Ms. McSally ran a mediocre campaign; she lost by just over two points while the governor was winning by 16. |
| Ms. McSally faced a bruising primary for most of the year. W hen she emerged as the nominee in September she struggled to navigate the political currents in a fast-growing state where President Trump is beloved by many Republicans but loathed by Democrats and many independents. | Ms. McSally faced a bruising primary for most of the year. W hen she emerged as the nominee in September she struggled to navigate the political currents in a fast-growing state where President Trump is beloved by many Republicans but loathed by Democrats and many independents. |
| Some in Mr. Ducey’s orbit would prefer him to appoint Kirk Adams, a former Republican state legislator who until this week was the governor’s chief of staff. Mr. Adams was on the list of prospects the governor considered after Mr. McCain’s death, and his departure from Mr. Ducey’s office was widely seen as the precursor to a potential appointment in case Mr. Kyl resigned at the end of this session of Congress. | Some in Mr. Ducey’s orbit would prefer him to appoint Kirk Adams, a former Republican state legislator who until this week was the governor’s chief of staff. Mr. Adams was on the list of prospects the governor considered after Mr. McCain’s death, and his departure from Mr. Ducey’s office was widely seen as the precursor to a potential appointment in case Mr. Kyl resigned at the end of this session of Congress. |