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

[Brittain33]

Trump ultimately decided against donating $10m to a primary challenger, but Flake needs to watch his back.

https://tinyurl.com/y7xyxdoz

[Brittain33]

Let's stick to Arizona. --Mod.

[Brittain33]

Please don't reply to trolls. It's easier to keep the thread clean if people report posts instead.--Mod.

[Brittain33]

Why is Flake so unpopular? Because he's too liberal or because he's too Trump-ish?

Conveys too much genuine decency.

[Brittain33]

I'd like to point out that Gillibrand started as a blue dog and has shifted much more left ever since becoming Senator of New York. I only say that because I imagine Sinema having the similar trajectory.

Gillibrand was moderate to represent her moderate district and became progressive to represent her new constituents.

Sinema is moderate to represent her somewhat moderate district, I would likely see her shift even more to the right as a senator. I could see her being up there with Heitkamp.

Although Progressive Punch, however reliable that is, rates Sinema as 37% progressive and the 2nd most conservative house dem, while rating Heitkamp at 57% so I suppose she does have room to drift left?

I'm not sure if she'd drift to the left if she were elected statewide. She's already in a fairly safe D district. I think she'd be somewhere between Michael Bennett and Angus King in terms of a voting record.

Until the 2016 election that was a R+1 district though.

It was never a safe D District but AZ PVIs were distorted by McCain being the candidate in '08.

[Brittain33]

He sounds like he's tearing up in his speech.

[Brittain33]

We actually have an AZ Class 2 megathread a few pages back but I can see how things have gotten so confusing between the two seats.

[Brittain33]

Data Orbital poll of the GOP primary:

Ward 26%
McSally 19%
Salmon 10%
Schweikert 5%
Shadegg 4%
Heiler 1%

Great poll! (?)

Seems like a lot of potential upside for McSally if she can consolidate the non-chemtrail vote.

[Brittain33]

McSally being craven and heartless:

https://www.azcentral.com/story/opinion/op-ed/laurieroberts/2017/12/19/roberts-martha-mcsally-running-flakes-senate-seat-mccains/963501001/

This could backfire bigly. If not because just ceding the nomination for the Flake seat to KKKelli Ward would probably tank Republican chances in both seats.

With McCain heading home to AZ this month, McSally's doing what she needs to do, tbh.

[Brittain33]

This has got to be one of the worst campaign roll outs in the history of the United States Senate.

https://twitter.com/dannowicki/status/944350401133821952

https://twitter.com/brahmresnik/status/944238498197815296

https://twitter.com/BenRay/status/944238464337371136

Mcconnell praising McNally will be great for Kelli Ward, today was a good day for her.


Also to update the race on the democratic side, the justice democrats endorsed Deedra Aboud, an endorsement that will go absolutely nowhere.

Yeah. Democrats need to brand Hawley, McSally, Scott (if he's stupid enough to run), and Cramer as the McConnell-backed candidate. McConnell is literally polling in the teens nationwide.

Wonder how McConnell feels right now, having become the new Nancy Pelosi.

The thing is, Pelosi isn't hated by Dems the way McConnell is hated by Republicans.