U.S. Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz.Incumbent John McCain won a three-way primary election race for the Republican nomination to the U.S. Senate Tuesday, and he will face Democrat Ann Kirkpatrick in November.
With 97 percent of the votes counted, McCain had 51.6 percent to nearly 39.2 percent for Kelli Ward, a physician and former state senator. Alex Meluskey, who dropped out of the race after the ballots were printed, had 5.5 percent, and Clair Van Steenwyk trailed at 3.6 percent.
McCain, who turned 80 this week, issued a statement Tuesday night thanking Republicans who voted for him and setting forth his agenda for the general election.
"It’s imperative Republicans maintain our majorities in Congress," McCain said in the statement. "It’s important to America’s future that we have a say over the next president’s appointments to the Supreme Court."
U.S. Rep. Ann Kirkpatrick, D-Ariz.
Kirkpatrick, whose campaign has been exchanging sharply worded attacks with McCain's campaign via emailed press releases for months, issued her own statement, saying the Republican "has changed after 33 years in Washington and no longer puts Arizonans above his own self-interest and his political career."
McCain was first elected to the U.S. House in 1982 and served two terms. He ran for and won a seat in the Senate in 1986 and has been re-elected four times since.
Ward's campaign was based on her more conservative tone and criticism of McCain that he is too old to continue serving.
McCain pushed his experience, especially in light of what he called threats to the country.
“The nation is under attack and, according to the director of National Intelligence and the head of the CIA, there will be further attacks on the United States of America,” McCain said.
“I think careerism has been detrimental to our country, both sides of the aisle – Republican and Democrat,” said Ward.
Ward is a strong supporter of Donald Trump. McCain said he “supports the Republican nominee” but has issues with many of Trump’s statements.
“But I have very strong differences – more strong differences – with Hillary Clinton, who I believe as secretary of state was partially, to some degree, responsible for the international debacle we are in today,” said McCain.
Alex Meluskey was on the Republican primary ballot but suspended his campaign at the end of July. He received more votes than another McCain challenger - Clair Van Steenwyk.
The McCain vs. Kirkpatrick race in November has been billed as a key to which party controls the U.S. Senate.
Kirkpatrick is a three-term U.S. House member from eastern Arizona.
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