Roberts: After Jeff Flake, Arizona's Senate race will be a free for all
Laurie Roberts, The Republic | azcentral.comPublished 7:17 a.m. MT Oct. 25, 2017 | Updated 7:38 a.m. MT Oct. 25, 2017<..snip..>
Who's likely in (and out)?The odd's-on favorite is Rep. Martha McSally. She faces a tough race in her southern Arizona district and will be recruited heavily to make the statewide run. She’s a military veteran with a voting record that would stack up well against Sinema.
Rep. Trent Franks, who came close to going for it in 2012, has been quite visible in recent months and could make a run for it. Some are saying Rep. Paul Gosar could run but I wonder if a guy has much of a chance when his own family has pronounced itself “aghast that (he) has sunk so low”. Rep. David Schweikert, a member of the House Freedom Caucus, is said to be considering a run but he’s sitting pretty in Scottsdale. Not sure I see him risking his spot on this one.
Jay Heiler, a member of the Arizona Board of Regents, tossed his name out as a possible candidate a few weeks ago. He is well known in conservative circlles, having served as chief of staff to then-Gov. Fife Symington and later started the charter school franchise, Great Hearts Academy.
Then there are the old stand-by names: state Treasurer Jeff DeWit (a Trump fav) and former state GOP Chairman Robert Graham. I’m thinking if one of them was going to run he’d already be running.
Really, it’s anybody’s guess what will happen.
At this point, only two things in this crazy race are certain.
No. 1. Ex-Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio will dangle the possibility that he’ll run and the media will jump all over that.
And No. 2. Then, he won’t.
http://www.azcentral.com/story/opinion/op-ed/laurieroberts/2017/10/25/jeff-flake-arizona-senate-race-free-for-all/798159001/