WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - Just a few months after being appointed to replace the late Senator John McCain, R-Ariz., Republican Senator Jon Kyl, R-Ariz., will resign from the Senate at the end of the year.
Kyl's resignation was revealed in a letter to Arizona Governor Doug Ducey, who is now charged with appointing a new replacement fill McCain's seat ahead of a special election in 2020.
In a letter to Ducey, Kyl thanked the governor for his appointment and called it an 'honor and a privilege to again serve the people of Arizona.'
'When I accepted your appointment, I agreed to complete the work of the 115th Congress and then reevaluate continuing to serve,' Kyl wrote.
He added, 'I have concluded that it would be best if I resign so that your new appointee can begin the new term with all other Senators in January 2019 and can serve a full two (potentially four) years.'
Kyl, who previously served as Arizona Senator from 1995 to 2013, was sent back to the Senate in September after McCain's death from brain cancer in August.
'Senator Kyl didn't need to return to the Senate,' Ducey said in a statement. 'His legacy as one of Arizona's most influential and important political figures was already without question.'
'But he did return, and I remain deeply grateful for his willingness to step up and serve again when Arizona needed him,' he added. 'I wish him and his family all the best.'
Ducey said Kyl served with the same integrity and statesmanship over the last few months that marked his 26 years in Congress.
Possible replacements for Kyl include Congresswoman Martha McSally, R-Ariz., who lost her race against Democratic Senator-elect Kyrsten Sinema, D-Ariz., for Arizona's other Senate seat in November.
A report from Politico said other prospects include Kirk Adams, Ducey's former chief of staff and a former speaker of the Arizona House, and Maricopa County Attorney Bill Montgomery.
Veteran Republican strategist Barrett Marson told Politico that Ducey's decision will likely be based on who would have the best chance to hold the seat in the 2020 special election and potentially win a full term in 2022.
Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX
© 2018 AFX News
