Governor Ducey has named retired Senator Jon Kyl to fill the seat of the late John McCain.
During his tenure Senator Jon Kyl was among the very best members of Congress on criminal justice issues. He understood the issues at a depth that very few legislators do. He cared about justice for its own sake, not just as a campaign issue for his next election. His retirement from the Senate was a great loss, and I am thrilled that we will have him back in the saddle.
Siobhan Hughes reports for the WSJ:
But in selecting Mr. Kyl, the GOP governor also chose a man who only has agreed to assume a caretaker role. Mr. Kyl declined to commit to serving into 2020, when a special election is to be held to fill the remaining two years of Mr. McCain's term.
"The reason that I did not want to commit beyond the end of this congressional session is because when I left the Senate almost six years ago I had no intention of returning," Mr. Kyl said. "I needed to be with my family," he said, adding that "in that spirit I am willing to serve certainly through the end of this session at least in order to make sure that the business that is currently ongoing is taken care of."
As much as I would like to have Senator Kyl in the seat for an additional two years, it would be politically problematic. The Republican nominee in 2020 would be running without the advantage of incumbency.
Control of the Senate is critical to getting good judicial nominees through if the Republicans keep the White House and blocking bad ones if they lose it. This year the Republicans have a very favorable Senate election "map." Next time not so much.
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