Republican Arizona AG Mark Brnovich announces run for US Senate

PHOENIX — Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich announced Thursday he is entering the race for U.S. Senate in 2022.

The Republican is aiming to unseat Democratic Sen. Mark Kelly in a race that could determine which party has control of the Senate.

The announcement ends months of speculation about Brnovich’s political plans. He’d also been considered a potential candidate for governor.

“I’m ready to fight for you in Washington because our best days are ahead,” Brnovich said in the video.

An active opponent of Democratic President Joe Biden’s immigration policies, Brnovich has served as the state’s attorney general since January 2015. He won a second term for the position in November 2018.

The 54-year-old also previously served as the head of the Arizona Department of Gaming.

Brnovich joins retired Maj. Gen. Mick McGuire and solar executive Jim Lamon as high-profile candidates on the GOP side.

More than a dozen other lesser-known Republicans have filed statements of interest for Kelly’s seat with the Arizona Secretary of State’s Office.

Kelly, who won the seat in November in a special election to finish John McCain’s term, must run again for a full term.

Along with Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, who won her seat in 2018, Kelly’s victory gave Arizona two Democratic senators for the first time since January 1953.

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