Arizona Republican Party Chair Kelli Ward is a lunatic who has driven the state party into the ground in just two years, losing every important race. Maybe this makes sense since Ward is a twice-failed U.S. Senate candidate. But instead of reflecting, she lashed out and censured those with opposing views last week — including a retired U.S. Senator, the widow of a legendary U.S. Senator, and the current Republican governor.
With all this turmoil, Ward still narrowly won re-election Saturday.
The Arizona Republic reported, “Ward’s reelection was considered a foregone conclusion weeks ago, but many in the GOP had misgivings about the party’s electoral performance on her watch and an uncertain future heading into the 2022 midterm elections.”
The political director of the Republican Governors Association, tweeted Saturday, "And with that, the AZGOP will have no significant role in '22. No other option but to work with others. We've been here before.”
Under Ward, the state GOP recently joined a nonsensical lawsuit against Vice President Mike Pence demanding he overturn the election results —something he could not legally do. It failed. Ward also used despicable messaging, like asking supporters to give their lives in a fight to overturn the presidential election. Cindy McCain, wife of the late Senator John McCain, who was censured, tweeted, "It is a high honor to be included in a group of Arizonans who have served our state and our nation so well ... and who, like my late husband John, have been censured by the AZGOP. I'll wear this as a badge of honor.” Earlier in the month, McCain and her daughter Meghan noted that John never lost an election in the Grand Canyon State during his 36-year political career. Arizona has a must-win U.S. Senate race in 2022. As a state that had not voted Democrat statewide for decades until 2018, it is winnable with a decent candidate and competent state party, but increasingly it appears they will have neither thanks to populist goons. Perhaps this is what happens when the goal of a state party changes from winning elections to holding grudges and censuring private citizens along with a popular Republican Governor for upholding his oath of office.
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