He spent years in John McCain’s shadow in the U.S. senate, and now he returns to Washington as McCain’s replacement.
Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey will appoint Jon Kyl, 76, who served three terms alongside McCain and became the Senate minority whip before retiring in 2012, to replace McCain until a 2020 special election to decide who holds it for the final two years of McCain’s term.
Kyl, who served alongside McCain during his 18 years in the U.S. Senate, will fly to Washington, D.C., following Ducey’s announcement. He retired in 2013 after rising to become the second-highest-ranking Republican senator.
In a tweet, McCain’s widow, Cindy, expressed support for the appointment. “Jon Kyl is a dear friend of mine and John’s. It’s a great tribute to John that he is prepared to go back into public service to help the state of Arizona,” she wrote.
Kyl is more conservative than McCain, and likely to support repealing Obamacare, an issue that now could be immediately revisited in the senate.