In Arizona the three GOP Senate candidates compete on their closeness to Trump

Washington Examiner:
President Trump has had a Midas touch in recent Republican primaries, but he's set to play a hands-off role in the race for the GOP Senate nomination in Arizona, where the candidates are trying to get close to him.

Trump helped sideline Sen. Jeff Flake, R-Ariz., who Rep. Martha McSally, R-Ariz., former state Sen. Kelli Ward and former Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio are hoping to replace.

The lack of a presidential endorsement in the contest has led to a tug-of-war over the president, with each of the candidates arguing why they are the best to replace Flake and help advance the president's agenda. Trump is so far undefeated when weighing in on GOP primary fights this year.

"He's getting the job done. He's delivering on the promises he made to people in the election," said Rep. Debbie Lesko, R-Ariz., who hasn't endorsed in the race but expects McSally to win. "I think people are excited about that. He's a person that does what he says he's going to do."

McSally,who leads in the polls, has placed Trump front and center in her latest TV ad and does not hesitate to pump up her relationship with the president. In an interview following an event where she received the National Border Patrol Council's endorsement, the two-term congresswoman rattled off a list of events she's attended at the White House.

"I'm over in the White House all the time. ... I have a good relationship with him. I speak to him like a fighter pilot," McSally said, adding that her seat at the table is a political winner. "That even matters to Democrats. They like that their next senator is going to be at the table, is going to have access, is going to be in the room when these major discussions are happening."
...
McSally's perceived closeness to the president is laughed at by the other two candidates, however. The retired Air Force colonel has refused to reveal if she voted for the president and didn't endorse him prior to his 2016 election victory. This is led to accusations by Ward and Arpaio that she is a "Never Trump" Republican.

"She didn't know how to spell his name 'til last year," Arpaio said at a town hall last week. "The border wall? What wall? She didn't know what a wall was."
...
Ward is probably more conservative than McSally.  Arpaio is in his 80's but he does have a following in Arizona because of his tough stand on illegal aliens.  He is probably taking votes from Ward which gives McSally an advantage.  The former fighter pilot, McSally probably is favored to win.

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