White House reportedly meets with three political rivals to Arizona’s Flake
Jul 18, 2017, 4:18 AM | Updated: 11:19 am
FILE - In this March 9, 2016, file photo, Sen. Jeff Flake, R-Ariz., on Capitol Hill in Washington. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik, File)
(AP Photo/Andrew Harnik, File)
PHOENIX — The White House has reportedly met with three political opponents of U.S. Sen. Flake (R-Ariz.), a move that could see the senator ousted from office.
Politico reported people inside President Donald Trump’s administration met with one of Flake’s primary opponents, Dr. Kelli Ward, and two other prospective entrants into the 2018 race for the Senate seat — Arizona Treasurer Jeff DeWit and former Arizona Republican Party Chairman Robert Graham.
The latter pair has yet to announce an official candidacy, but were exploring a run. Both were considered to be viable candidates, especially given their support of Trump.
Officials denied they were recruiting a challenger to Flake. Politico said it was possible they did not want to exert too much pressure on the senator ahead of a vote on a proposed health care bill.
Flake and Trump have butted heads since the latter became the party’s presidential nominee last July. The pair also engaged in a war of words that spanned nearly the entire campaign trail, though they made nice after the ballots were cast.
However, Monday’s report could be a major indication the White House is readying a big push against Flake, who could be vulnerable in next year’s race.
Last week, data analysis website FiveThirtyEight said Flake’s polling numbers and a possible slight shift to the left by Arizona voters could signal the senator’s time in Washington, D.C. was coming to a close.
The site said a 1-2 punch of bad poll results and the fact that Flake only won his Senate seat by a 3-point margin could lead to the senator being forced out of office. A Morning Consult poll released last week said Flake had one of the highest disapproval ratings among his counterparts.
