PHOENIX — Sensing Sen. Jeff Flake’s vulnerability even before Tuesday’s announcement that he won’t seek reelection, other Arizona Republicans were already testing the waters to run.
One of those is Jay Heiler, who now serves on the Arizona Board of Regents and was chief of staff in the 1990s to Republican Gov. Fife Symington.
Heiler, who confirmed his interest Tuesday, starts out with the endorsement of former Gov. Jan Brewer, who has been — and remains — one of Trump’s key supporters. That could send a signal to those who back Trump that Heiler would be acceptable.
“He’s a breath of fresh air,” said Brewer, who was supporting Heiler to run even before Flake’s announcement. “I think he can get the job done and represent Arizona in a fashion that it should be represented.”
Former state GOP Chairman Robert Graham said Tuesday he also is exploring whether to enter the race, saying he may be the best bet to keep the seat in Republican hands.
“I don’t think it’s any secret that I’m not a fan of Kelli Ward,” Graham said, referring to the only announced candidate in the 2018 GOP primary race now that Flake has withdrawn. “I believe that if she were to become the nominee she’ll have a hard-pressed chance to win.”
But Graham acknowledged members of the GOP congressional delegation may have their own ideas, including Reps. David Schweikert, Martha McSally, Paul Gosar and Trent Franks.
Then there’s state Treasurer Jeff DeWit, who also has shown some interest in the seat. Graham said he’s close to DeWit and will meet with him, with the presumption that if one runs the other will not.
Ward, a former state senator, was endorsed last week by former Trump White House strategist Stephen Bannon. “Arizona voters are the big winner in Jeff Flake’s decision to not seek reelection,” Ward said in a prepared statement Tuesday. “They deserve a strong conservative in the U.S. Senate who supports President Trump and the ‘America First’ agenda.”
But Flake’s withdrawal from the race could decrease the chances that Ward will end up as the party’s nominee.
An open seat could give Democrats, meanwhile, the first chance in decades to put an Arizonan in the U.S. Senate.
The last time that happened was 1976 when a divisive GOP primary between Sam Steiger and John Conlan, both members of Congress, left so much bad blood that Democrat Dennis DeConcini from Tucson snatched the seat in the general election with 54 percent of the vote.
At this point, the presumed Democratic frontrunner for Flake’s seat is U.S. Rep. Kyrsten Sinema.
Other announced candidates include Deedra Abboud, Bob Bishop, Jim Moss, Chris Russell and Chris Sherzan.
However, there was no immediate comment Tuesday from Sinema.
