No Republican has announced a bid yet in the wake of McSally’s alleged run. Before dropping out, McSally was slipping in the polls, and in October, the DCCC spent six figures on radio ads tying her to Obamacare repeal. This leaves the Second open for the first time since 2002, and Democrats are ready for a revitalized push after a blowout in the last race. His call for “real border security,” including authoringa bill that allows Arizona to build its own border fence, could sway voters in a district that has gone Republican in the last five presidential elections.Īfter a year preparing to defend her seat in Congress, Martha McSally is now expected to pivot toward the Senate for Jeff Flake's open seat. State Senator Steve Smith has the fundraising lead among Republicans, with over $120,000 on hand. The district poses two major hurdles for any Republican challenger: its massive size (bigger than Illinois), and the largest Native American population of any district, a demographic that skews Democratic. In his second race, the DCCC worries that the first-term congressman could be vulnerable against a more wholesome GOP candidate. O’Halleran, a former Republican, won by a comfortable margin in 2016 against Sheriff Paul Babeu, who was tarnished by a sex scandal.

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