Just as John McCain is having trouble breaking 40% in the polls, he received some devastating news. The latest poll showed McCain leading in the polls at 39-26 against Ward when the other three candidates are in the mix, but when Public Policy Polling (PPP) polled a head to head match up, they found it to be a tie 41-41. Alex Meluskey has suspended his bid for the Senate and Scott McBean failed to turn in enough signatures to get on the ballot. That leaves only Clair Van Steenwyk, who seems to run for office every year and is expected to get at least 1% of the vote, making her insignificant.
Ward released the following statement on Meluskey’s suspension of his campaign:
Today Alex Meluskey has honored his pledge to Arizona Republicans ‘to clear the way for the defeat of John McCain.’ I thank him for his selfless and courageous decision, and I pledge to be a conservative champion on those issues that matter so much to his supporters whom we welcome to our camp: protecting innocent unborn life, defending the Second Amendment, securing our borders, and finally fixing the VA.
After 33 years in Washington, John McCain has become the ultimate establishment insider and Hillary’s favorite Republican. It’s 2016, and the VA is still broken, and the borders are still open. That’s why he’s losing a reliably red state to a rubber stamp Obama Democrat. I’m the only Republican who can unite our party to win in November.
John McCain’s millions of dollars of false attacks against my military family discredit his past service and call into question his capacity to serve through a fourth decade in DC well into his eighties. John McCain should do the honorable thing and renounce the desperate smear tactics from AZ Grassroots Action PAC and debate me one-on-one, face-to-face before the voters. As Senator McCain himself has said, ‘If all you run is negative attack ads, you don’t have much of a vision for the future.’ Arizona Republicans should help me honor him with retirement on August 30.
https://youtu.be/fKZVfyPKe_A
Melusky is hinting that he will endorse Ward and said this:
“I made it very clear from the outset that if I was not in a position to win this race, I would do what is best for our state, and for our country, and step aside before voting began. That is why effective today, I am suspending my campaign and therefore I am not presently a candidate for the U.S. Senate.”
“I am keeping my promise to the people of Arizona in order to clear the way for the defeat of John McCain. Roberta and I are deeply grateful to every single one of our fantastic supporters, volunteers, and donors, and to our great staff. Your work has been exemplary, and builds towards a brighter American future.”
Early voting by mail begins on August 3rd. And ballot postmarked before that date is invalid.