This election cycle will feature what should be a very competitive special election to fill the remainder of John McCain’s senate term until the 2022 general election.

McCain was elected to another six-year term in 2016 but died of cancer in Aug. 2018.  Gov. Doug Ducey appointed former Sen, Jon Kyl (R) to replace McCain after his death.  Kyl resigned his seat at the end of 2018 and Ducey appointed Rep. Martha McSally (R) following her failed Senate bid against Kyrsten Sinema (D) in a very closely contested race.

The race for this seat has been identified as a “battleground” election by ballotpedia.  A battleground election is described as one which should effect the balance of power in governments or be especially competitive or compelling.

According to McSally’s biographical information on ballotpedia, she retired a colonel from the U.S. Air Force in 2010 after 26 years of service and the distinction of being the first female fighter pilot to fly in combat.  She served in the House of Representatives from 2015 until she accepted McCain’s senate seat in 2019.

She is opposed in the Aug. 4 primary by two other republican candidates, Daniel McCarthy and Sean Lyons.

McCarthy’s election site “Demand Daniel McCarthy” claims that Americans are “being lied to” about the ongoing coronavirus pandemic which has killed nearly 150,000 people domestically and calls for stopping the shutdown and reopening Arizona.

Sean Lyons is a write-in candidate whose candidate info on apps.arizona.vote claims “Tell me what you want and I’ll hang out in Washington D.C. to get it.”

Mark Kelly and Bo “Heir Archy” Garcia face off on the democrat side of the race.

According to his election site, Kelly, a former astronaut, claims he will not accept any money from political action committees and stresses preserving social security and medicare and making affordable health care more available.

Northeast Valley News was unable to find any information about write-in candidate Garcia’s campaign.

Two libertarians and former gubernatorial candidates Barry Hess and write-in Alan White are also vying for McSally’s current post.

Hess has run for governor of Arizona on multiple occasions and made an unsuccessful bid for senate in 2018.  In a statement on his Barry Hess for Senate 2020 Facebook page Hess calls himself the only anti-war, pro-freedom, pro-gun rights, small government option for Arizonans.

White’s Linkedin page establishes him as the CEO of Windshine Electric and the patent holder for a new type of wind turbine.  He has also run for governor and calls himself a clean water advocate.