Arizona GOP to vote on censuring Cindy McCain for endorsing Biden

PHOENIX — The Arizona Republican Party will vote later this month on a resolution to censure Cindy McCain for publicly endorsing President-elect Joe Biden, a Democrat.

On Saturday afternoon, the party reported the Maricopa County GOP had voted and passed a resolution to censure McCain, the widow of former Arizona Sen. John McCain.

The state party later said in statement that “there was a call, a second, and near unanimous cheering/approval – but resolutions can’t be amended from the floor.”

The Arizona GOP will hold a vote on Jan. 23 for the resolution.

Cindy McCain tweeted that she is “a proud lifelong Republican and will continue to support candidates who put country over party and stand for the rule of law.”

She publicly endorsed Biden in September 2020 in his run for president. She noted that she was not switching political parties but said she was backing the Democratic nominee because Biden is what this country needs.

When Biden was in Arizona campaigning, Cindy McCain joined him and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris at the Heard Museum in Phoenix to meet with Arizona tribal leaders as part of the campaign stop.

John McCain was censured in 2014 by the party for what they saw as an insufficiently conservative voting record. He died in 2018.

Arizona Sen. Mark Kelly called the move to censure Cindy McCain “embarrassing and shameful,” adding that she “has always done what she thinks is right for Arizona and our country. That’s something we should all admire, no matter which party we belong to.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Follow @KTAR923