Congress

Arizona Sen. Jeff Flake Was Probably Headed For Retirement Anyway

Flake was facing strong challenges from the right and the left even before he announced he wouldn't seek re-election.

Arizona Sen. Jeff Flake Was Probably Headed For Retirement Anyway
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Arizona Sen. Jeff Flake's sudden decision not to seek re-election could shake up Arizona's 2018 Senate race — but maybe not as much as you'd think.

Flake was already pretty unpopular back home: A July Morning Consult poll found he was one of three senators whose approval ratings were underwater in their home state.

And both of the race's current frontrunners — former GOP state Sen. Kelli Ward and current U.S. Democratic Rep. Kyrsten Sinema — beat out Flake in a poll this August.

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So Flake might have been retiring in 2019 whether he wanted to or not. But his early exit could prompt another GOP challenger to step into the mix.

During a visit to Arizona this August, President Donald Trump met with some potential GOP replacements for Flake — and CNN noted Trump was looking for someone other than Ward to take Flake's place.