U.S. Rep. David Schweikert floats run for Arizona governor in 2022
Oct 26, 2017, 4:15 AM
(Facebook photo)
(Facebook photo)
PHOENIX — Arizona Gov. David Schweikert?
You read that right: U.S. Rep. David Schweikert has floated a possible run for state governor after dismissing the possibility that he would run for Sen. Jeff Flake’s seat in 2018.
A spokesman for Schweikert told reporters on Wednesday that the Arizona representative may run for governor in 2022 in an effort to unseat Gov. Doug Ducey.
A spokesman for @RepDavid tells me Schweikert may run for #AZGOV in 2022 & looks forward to supporting the winner of 2018 #AZSEN primary.
— David Catanese (@davecatanese) October 25, 2017
Earlier that day, Schweikert signaled in an interview with Business Insider that he may not run for Flake’s senate seat next year.
“I love the illusions of grandeur but I’m not sure I have the burning passion that that type of race would take,” he said. “From a personality standpoint, I’ve often had a long-term goal of maybe governor just because that seemed to fit me more personality wise.”
Flake announced on Tuesday that he would not run for re-election in 2018, citing the “Trump factor” as a big reason that he made his decision.
“I’m a traditional conservative that believes in limited government, economic freedom, free trade [and] immigration. The Trump factor is a lot different. [It is] very anti-immigration, very protectionist,” Flake told KTAR News 92.3 FM’s Arizona’s Morning News.
“But also it is the tone and tenor of politics, I just can’t abide the kind of vitriol and the kind of resentment that’s up front in terms of these politics.”
The junior Arizona senator’s term will end in early January 2019.
Ducey, for his part, confirmed on Tuesday that he will also not run for Flake’s seat in 2018.
Schweikert said Republicans representing the U.S. House of Representatives for Arizona will meet on Thursday to determine who might be the best fit to run against Dr. Kelli Ward in the August primary.
“We actually have something unique in our delegation,” Schweikert told Business Insider.
“Our delegation actually likes each other and we’ve worked really hard to have that happen because that wasn’t always the history with Arizona representatives. So we’re sort of having that ‘Does anyone have just burning passion to want to do this?’ [conversation].”
With Flake out of the running, Ward is now the front-running Republican candidate, but top White House officials — including President Donald Trump — have been working to introduce other top-ranking Arizona Republicans into the race.
For the Democratic Party, U.S. Rep. Kyrsten Sinema, who declared her candidacy last month, remains the front-runner.
