Arizona Sen. John McCain has given speeches at every Republican presidential convention for the past three decades, but the senator said Tuesday this year may be different.
McCain, the 2008 GOP nominee, told reporters on Capitol Hill Tuesday afternoon he may forgo the July event in Cleveland, Ohio to prepare for his own reelection race.
“I have to campaign for re-election,” he said.
The five-term senior senator is up against two other conservatives in the August 30 primary, businessman Alex Meluskey and state senator Kelli Ward. Recent polls putting McCain up against the Democratic front-runner Rep. Ann Kirkpatrick in a potential general election battle show the two are separated by less than one percentage point.
Attending the GOP convention, which may be brokered and go down in a delegate fight, could place lawmakers up for re-election in a tight spot. Others senators, including Mark Kirk of Illinois, Kelly Ayotte of New Hampshire and Richard Burr of North Carolina, have already indicated they will not attend the convention in order to focus on personal senate races.
