Sen. Martha McSally bid goodbye to her colleagues in a farewell speech on Wednesday, reflecting on her time in the Senate after her election loss earlier in November.
The Arizona Republican touched on meeting Navajo code talkers from World War II, doing ride-alongs with Border Patrol agents, and meeting people across Arizona. She looked back on one of her most powerful moments in Congress — when she testified in front of her colleagues about being raped by a superior officer in the Air Force during a heated debate on Capitol Hill over how to combat military sexual assault.
“I’m grateful to God for giving me the courage to tell my story,” McSally said in her speech. “And I’m blessed to be a senator, not only to lead on reforms that were signed into law but also to use my platform to be an example of hope and healing for others.”
McSally was appointed to her seat, once held by the late John McCain, by Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey in 2019, shortly after she had lost her 2018 race against Democratic Sen. Kyrsten Sinema. Last week, she conceded to her Democratic challenger Mark Kelly, a retired astronaut, nine days after the race had been called by the Associated Press.
In her speech, McSally wished her successor the best in his ability to represent Arizona and hoped, among her Senate accomplishments, she did the most she could for the country’s veterans.
“My deepest hope is that the work we did to fight for our veterans is a cornerstone of the legacy we leave in the Senate,” McSally said.
McSally was among a number of Republican incumbents election forecasters deemed vulnerable to their Democratic challengers ahead of the Nov. 3 election. Despite her loss, most others who were considered at risk of losing their seats retained them.
Party control of the Senate will be up to two runoff races in Georgia, set for January.
Sen. Martha McSally: “I’m grateful to God for giving me the courage to tell my story. And I’m blessed to be a Senator, not only to lead on reforms that were signed into law, but also to use my platform to be an example of hope and healing for others.” pic.twitter.com/nG8FenGAgJ
— The Hill (@thehill) November 18, 2020
