Sen. John McCain of Arizona has drawn a primary challenger in the 2016 election, where he will be seeking a sixth term.
State Sen. Kelli Ward announced on her website in a two-plus-minute video that she is running for U.S. Senate, criticizing Mr. McCain’s record on Capitol Hill.
“In the Navy, John McCain served our country honorably. He is an American hero whose earned our respect. But as the senior senator from Arizona, John McCain has too often disappointed conservatives,” Ms. Ward said in the video.
Mr. McCain, 78, is viewed as one of the more vulnerable lawmakers in the primary season next year, where tea partiers and anti-establishment allies will be looking to make up for a tough 2014 primary.
In her video, Mrs. Ward, a 46-year-old physician, casts Mr. McCain as a big-government Republican, accusing the 2008 GOP presidential nominee of supporting increased federal sending and bailouts.
She also criticizes him for not doing more to repeal Obamacare and abandoning his promise to secure the border.
“He has failed us,” Mrs. Ward said. “Instead of keeping his promise, Senator McCain supported amnesty.”
Mr. McCain’s office countered that Ms. Ward has a “record of bizarre statements and questionable judgment.”
“Arizonans know that John McCain will never stop fighting for Arizona and America, as he has his entire adult life, both in uniform and in Congress. Senator McCain looks forward to this campaign, and to discussing his strong record of protecting America’s national security, standing up for veterans, and growing Arizona’s economy,” said McCain spokesman Brian Rogers.
• Seth McLaughlin can be reached at smclaughlin@washingtontimes.com.
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