John McCain’s Former Chief of Staff, Grant Woods, Considering Senate Bid – As A Democrat

Former state attorney general and chief of staff to late senator John McCain is now considering a bid for running for Congress in the wake of McCain’s passing. In a recent interview with radio station KTAR, Grant Woods said that he had been in talks with several Democratic senators concerning a potential bid on the Democratic ticket to fill McCain’s former role as Arizona state senator.

A longtime friend of McCain, Woods delivered a touching eulogy to the late senator at his memorial service. McCain had served 35 years in Congress before losing out to brain cancer on August 25. Woods now attributes his potential bid to the devastating loss of his former colleague.

“What’s changed for me is the passing of John McCain,” said Woods. “It’s challenging for me be so involved in everything that we did to honor him over the last week and then think of staying on the sidelines as we face a world without John McCain.”

While Woods had formerly won his two previous bids for state attorney general as a Republican, he claims that he no longer wishes to align himself with “the party of Trump.”

“I’m not going to hold my breath on Trump because I’m not going to pass out,” Woods said.

He also noted that he has spoken to several Democratic senators including Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York as well as Sens. Heidi Heitkamp of North Dakota and Tom Udall of New Mexico. Heitkamp praised Woods as a “centrist [and] dear friend,” claiming that “the Senate needs more public servants like him.”

In the wake of the senator’s death, Arizona governor Doug Doucey appointed former Republican Sen. Jon Kyl to fill his seat in the interim. A special election is to be held in November 2020 to fill the seat, in which Kyl is not expected to run.