POLITICAL FIGURES: “Establishment Republicans are sad to see Sen. Jeff Flake go. But his Tuesday retirement announcement came with a silver lining: They believe it gives the GOP a better chance of holding Arizona’s seat — and the Senate majority — next November.
Flake’s drumbeat of criticism against President Donald Trump had tanked his popularity among Republicans, internal and public polling showed, and it had become a near certainty that Flake would lose his primary to former state legislator Kelli Ward. Ward, in turn, is seen by top Republican strategists as an unelectable nominee — Steven Law, president of the Mitch McConnell-aligned Senate Leadership Fund super PAC, previously said the party would “throw this Senate seat away by nominating a fringe candidate” like Ward.
Now, the ability to swap in a different Republican for Flake — one who has not repeatedly set fire to bridges with the Republican Party’s Trump-loving base — could give the GOP a better shot against Democratic Rep. Kyrsten Sinema next fall, multiple Republicans said…
But following Flake’s retirement, Republican senators were optimistic that the seat would stay with their party.”
–Kevin Robillard, “Flake retirement could help GOP save the Senate,” Politico, Oct. 25, 2017 05:17am