VICTORY FOR MARTHA – AT 1:08 P.M. ET:   Republican Martha McSally, recently defeated by a hair for the Arizona U.S. Senate seat being vacated by Jeff Flake, will go to the Senate after all.  She has been appointed to fill out part of the term of the late John McCain.  From Fox:   

Republican Rep. Martha McSally, just weeks after losing one of the midterms' tightest and most contentious Senate races, was appointed by Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey on Tuesday to fill the state’s other U.S. Senate seat.

McSally will serve for at least the next two years in the seat that was held by longtime Arizona Sen. John McCain until his death in August.

“With her experience and long record of service, Martha is uniquely qualified to step up and fight for Arizona’s interests in the U.S. Senate,” Ducey said in a statement.

Ducey had appointed former Sen. Jon Kyl to the seat in September, but Kyl, after serving for several months, announced plans to resign at the end of the year. According to Ducey’s office, Kyl’s resignation will be effective Dec. 31.

McSally was defeated by Democratic Rep. Kyrsten Sinema in this year’s midterm election for the seat held by retiring GOP Sen. Jeff Flake. Her appointment means she will now serve alongside her opponent, something Ducey noted in his statement.

“I thank her for taking on this significant responsibility and look forward to working with her and Senator-Elect Sinema to get positive things done,” Ducey said.

McSally will serve until the 2020 election, when voters will elect someone to serve the final two years of McCain's term.

COMMENT:  The "Sinema" is Democratic Senator-elect Kyrsten Sinema, far to the left of McSally, who was elected in November. 

I have no doubt that McSally, an Air Force Academy graduate who was the first American woman to fly in combat, will do an outstanding job.  However, she must learn to be a better candidate.  She ran a poor campaign against Sinema, in a race she should have won.  She has two years to plan her 2020 campaign to stay in the Senate.

December 18,  2018