Within moments of Rep. David Schweikert making official Tuesday his decision to seek the Republican nomination for governor of Arizona in 2026, and vacate his 1st District (suburban Phoenix) House seat, talk began in the conservative lawmaker’s about one of the most familiar names in the Grand Canyon State as a Democrat candidate to succeed him.
But the “twist” is the Democrat’s name would be McCain—either John “Jack” McCain, IV or James “Jimmy” McCain, both sons of the late U.S. Senator John McCain, the 2008 Republican presidential nominee.
“No one knows what they will do, but there is certainly talk of one of the McCains running for David’s seat,” former state GOP Chairman Randy Pullen told Newsmax. He added that the younger Jack McCain and brother Jimmy McCain would almost surely talk to their mother Cindy McCain about which one would run—if either decides to make the race.
Jack McCain, 39, a former U.S. Navy aviator, has kept quiet about his political affiliations but is known to share the maverick, anti-Trump views of his late father. Jimmy McCain, 37, a former U.S. Marine and now vice president of the Hensley Beverage Company (started by Cindy McCain’s late father), switched from Republican to independent following Donald Trump’s nomination for president in 2016. Last year, he announced he was becoming a Democrat and endorsed Kamala Harris for president.
One Arizona lobbyist pointed out that Democrat Gov. Katie Hobbs named Jimmy McCain to the University of Arizona Board of Regents last year and that Jack McCain recently launched a new international consulting business. Other political experts agreed, however, that either McCain could put aside any commitments if one of them wanted to run for an open and very winnable U.S. House seat.
Since stalwart conservative Schweikert won his first term in 2012, he has almost always had close calls at the polls and secured his re-election in 2022 by less than one percent and won in ’24 by just over four percent. An open seat would almost certainly mean a competitive GOP primary and possible Democrat pickup.
While the McCain name carries little weight among Arizona Republicans anymore, it certainly is revered among Democrats and either Jack or Jimmy McCain would be considered a formidable candidate in an open 1st District.
John Gizzi is chief political columnist and White House correspondent for Newsmax. For more of his reports, Click Here Now.
© 2025 Newsmax. All rights reserved.
