Politics

John McCain survives primary challenge to face Ann Kirkpatrick

Wednesday, August 31, 2016

From left, Navajo Nation President Russell Begaye, Sen. John McCain (R-Arizona) and Hopi Tribe Chairman Herman Honanie. Photo from Sen. McCain / Facebook

Sen. John McCain (R-Arizona), a former two-time chairman of the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs, survived his Republican primary challenge on Tuesday and will face Rep. Ann Kirkpatrick (D-Arizona) in the November general election.

McCain easily defeated Kelli Ward by more than 60,000 votes, according to the Arizona Secretary of State. But tallies in counties with large Native populations underscore the problems his re-election campaign has faced in recent weeks.

In Apache County, for example, McCain won by just 75 votes, based on results from Wednesday morning. Native Americans represent 73.5 percent of the population in the county, the largest proportion in the state.

Over in neighboring Navajo County, where Native Americans represent 45.2 percent of the population, Ward actually won by 369 votes, according to the results. She ran on a #RetireMcCain platform and cited the long-time lawmaker's age and his tepid support for Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump as reasons to oust him.

Rep. Ann Kirkpatrick (D-Arizona). Photo from Facebook

Kirkpatrick ran unopposed in The Democratic primary but managed to garner more than 283,600 votes, according to the results. McCain has over 250,000 votes in his race.

Still, turnout on primary day was low, Mark Trahant reported, so the numbers don't necessarily indicate how the November vote will go.

McCain remains well-respected among elected tribal leaders in Arizona, many of whom rely on him for assistance in high-profile legislative and political matters. But his stature among tribal citizens in general has suffered due to his support for the controversial Resolution Copper that would be located on sacred Apache land.

His focus on controversial aspects of the tribal gaming industry hasn't earned him fans either. In the past, he has criticized "reservation shopping," and he is currently supporting a bill that would prevent the Tohono O'odham Nation from using its trust lands for gaming even though the tribe has won numerous battles in court.

Kirkpatrick, who was born and raised on the Fort Apache Reservation, home to the White Mountain Apache Tribe, has always relied on Native voters to send her to Congress. But she too supports the Resolution Copper mine and is co-sponsoring the anti-Tohono O'odham Nation bill.

Polls compiled by RealClearPolitics show McCain ahead of Kirkpatrick, who has repeatedly tried to tie her rival to Trump, who is extremely unpopular among women and racial and ethnic minority voters. Trump, though, remains very popular among Republicans in the state.

Native Americans represent 5.3 percent of the population in Arizona, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Read More on the Story:
John McCain defeats Kelli Ward in Republican Senate primary (The Arizona Republic 8/31)
Marco Rubio and John McCain Win Primaries in Florida and Arizona (The New York Times 8/31)