McCain
PHOENIX – Sen. John McCain said Tuesday that he intends to seek a fifth term in the Senate in 2010 and looks forward to resuming his duties in Washington.
McCain said he looks back on his losing presidential campaign with pride and will make a formal announcement of his re-election bid in the future.
“The decision I am basically making is to be able to continue to serve in the state of Arizona and my country,” said McCain, who has two years left in his term.
His agenda includes battling wasteful government spending, trying to overhaul the country’s immigration policies and making trips to Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan.
Another duty that McCain promised to carry out is seeking the Senate confirmation of Arizona Gov. Janet Napolitano as President-elect Barack Obama’s homeland security chief – should she be formally nominated as expected.
McCain said Napolitano, a governor versed in border security, is highly qualified for the job. “We all know that we face challenges from Islamic extremists throughout the world, and I believe that she will do an outstanding job,” said McCain, who spoke with Napolitano about the prospect of her landing the position.
Though no potential challengers have yet officially stepped up, McCain says he expects a tough race in two years. McCain has never lost a statewide election in Arizona and won his last two re-election races with more than two-thirds of the vote.
Though he lost the presidency, McCain easily won his home state earlier this month, capturing 54 percent of the vote, compared with Obama’s 45 percent.
Before she became Obama’s top homeland security pick, Napolitano was mentioned as a possible Senate challenger to McCain. Her term as governor is set to end in 2010.