J.D. Hayworth to Challenge John McCain in the Republican Senate Primary

It’s official, former Arizona Congressman J.D. Hayworth says he’s planning to run against John McCain for his U.S. Senate seat. Hayworth has left his Arizona radio program on KFYI-AM, a conservative radio talk show in Phoenix.

Hayworth was ousted from his Congressional seat in 2006 after 12 years in office by Democrat Harry Mitchell, and has hosted the radio show for the past few years.

“We will formally announce at a later time, but we’re moving forward to challenge John McCain,” he said. “I think we all respect John. I think his place in history is secure. But after close to a quarter-century in Washington, it’s time for him to come home.”

He said he wasn’t serious about running against McCain until a recent “outpouring of support” from Arizonans asking him to run changed his mind.

“Arizonans have a clear choice _ a clear, commonsense, consistent conservative, or they can remain with a moderate who calls himself a maverick,” Hayworth said.

The question is whether Hayworth really has a chance of winning? Personally I would think that he could and would be the air apparent to an aging John McCain for AZ Senator. McCain is presently 73 years old. One might think that maybe Hayworth would run for his old House seat and help take back the House for Republicans and the run for McCain’s seat in the future. Just a thought. Although it appears that the Republicans already have a strong challenge to Harry Mitchell in the AZ 5th Congressional District.

It will be difficult for Hayworth as Sarah Palin has announced that she will be campaigning for McCain Isn’t that rather ironic that after all the blame Sarah that came from the McCain camp following the 2008 Presidental election loss, that it is Palin to McCain’s rescue to help him with the Conservative vote in Arizona.

There is no question who the real Conservative Republican is in this race and it will be interesting to see whether Hayworth can muster the same “Scott Brown” magic in Arizona as the electorate simmers with disdain for the old guard, business as usual politics. According to a recent Rasmussen poll, McCain had a huge lead over challenger Hayworth.

One thing is for certain, win, lose or draw … J.D. Hayworth is likely the Republican face of politics in Arizona for the future.