McCain, Rubio continue streak of incumbent victories

Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., cleared the first hurdle en route to a sixth term in the U.S. Senate on Tuesday, defeating a much younger opponent boosted by Donald Trump supporters in Arizona’s Republican primary.

McCain’s challenger, 47-year-old former state Sen. Kelli Ward, attacked McCain’s record and effectiveness during the race, painting him as a weak, out-of-touch establishment politician too entrenched in Washington to stand up for conservative principles.

Ward started her campaign more than a year ago as an underdog but picked up steam after Trump’s rise to the top of the Republican ticket. Trump’s divisiveness has threatened to alienate conservative voters, and Ward sought to capitalize on McCain’s tenuous relationship with the businessman. She attacked McCain for his age, his compromises on immigration, and questioned his commitment to support the Republican nominee leading up to election day—criticisms she repeated in her concession speech.

“The Republican party cannot win as a national party if we keep nominating unprincipled career politicians whose only objective is perpetual reelection,” Ward said after her defeat.

Last year, Trump claimed McCain, who turned 80 on Monday, was not a war hero despite being a prisoner of war for more than five years in Vietnam. And last month, Trump said he couldn’t support the war veteran for reelection because he hasn’t done enough for veterans.

Throughout the campaign season, McCain has been a Trump critic while continuing to support his candidacy, urging Republicans to coalesce around the party’s presidential nominee.

But Trump still loomed over McCain’s hopes for reelection.

“If Donald Trump is at the top of the ticket, here in Arizona, with over 30 percent of the vote being the Hispanic vote, no doubt that this may be the race of my life,” McCain said in May, according to Politico.

In November, McCain will square off against well-funded Rep. Ann Kirkpatrick, D-Ariz., who will look to exploit his endorsement of Trump to turn Latino voters against him.

Kirkpatrick vacated her House seat to run against McCain and won the Democratic primary uncontested. Pinal County Sheriff Paul Babeu won a close Republican primary to replace her in Arizona’s 1st District and will face Democrat Tom O’Halleran, who won his primary last night.

Even with Trump dividing Republicans, no Senate incumbent has lost a primary this year. That streak now includes McCain and Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla.

After ending his presidential bid in March, Rubio said he would leave politics when his term expired. But two days before the filing deadline, Rubio reversed course, fearing Republicans might lose the Senate majority if he didn’t run for reelection.

Rubio’s name recognition allowed him to quickly garner support, and he defeated Carlos Beruff, a wealthy businessman, in a landslide. Beruff spent more than $8 million of his own money on the campaign but could never narrow his deficit.

In November, Rubio will face 33-year-old Rep. Patrick Murphy, D-Fla., who defeated Rep. Alan Grayson, D-Fla., in the Democratic primary.

Both Murphy and Grayson faced scandals leading up to last night’s contest. The same day Rubio decided to run for reelection, reports revealed Murphy’s father embellished his son’s business record and academic credentials. But Murphy still easily defeated Grayson, who allegedly set up a fund in the Cayman Islands to petition donations from foreign investors and is accused of abusing his ex-wife.

Also in Florida, Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, D-Fla., easily won her House primary last night despite a tumultuous last few months.

Wasserman Schultz resigned from her position as the head of the Democratic National Committee when a WikiLeaks hack disclosed emails showing she gave Hillary Clinton preferential treatment over Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., in the presidential primary process.

Sanders backed her opponent, college professor Tim Canova, in the Florida primary.

Canova’s campaign received millions from disgruntled Sanders supporters, but it was not enough to overcome the six-term incumbent who had Clinton travel to Florida to stump for her this month.