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No Senate run for Arizona Gov. Ducey, blow to GOP recruiting

Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey re-delivers his State of the State address in front of a Yuma crowd Thursday, Feb. 17, 2022 inside Pivot Point Conference Center.
Randy Hoeft/The Yuma Sun via AP
Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey re-delivers his State of the State address in front of a Yuma crowd Thursday, Feb. 17, 2022 inside Pivot Point Conference Center.

Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey has notified Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell that he won't enter his state’s high-profile Senate contest.

That's a disappointing development for establishment Republicans who saw Ducey as their best hope to defeat Democratic Sen. Mark Kelly this fall.

Ducey’s decision was confirmed by a person with direct knowledge of the conversation who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the private talk.

Ducey also notified donors of his decision in a letter, as first reported by The Arizona Republic.

Ducey’s decision marks another significant recruiting failure for McConnell and his allies, who also could not persuade Republican governors to enter Senate contests in New Hampshire and Maryland.