GOP senator who votes with Trump 94% of the time suddenly not so proud of it

Sen. Martha McSally (R-AZ) debated her Democratic opponent, Mark Kelly, Tuesday night, where she repeatedly declined to say she is proud of supporting Donald Trump — despite voting with him over 94% of the time.

“I’m proud that I am fighting for Arizonans on things like cutting your taxes,” McSally said at the debate, later adding, “I’m proud to be fighting for Arizona every single day.”

McSally’s refusal to embrace Trump is a surefire sign that Trump is toxic, even in Arizona — a state that has only voted for a Democratic presidential nominee once in nearly 50 years.

Polling shows Trump trailing Democratic nominee Joe Biden in the state by 4.4%, according to the FiveThirtyEight average. However a New York Times/Siena College poll released Monday found Biden leading by 8%.

And McSally — who was not elected to the seat, but rather appointed to fill the vacancy by the late Sen. John McCain following McSally’s own loss to now-Democratic Sen. Kyrsten Sinema just two years ago — is faring worse than Trump.

That New York Times/Siena College poll from Monday found McSally trailing Kelly, 39% to 50%.

She’s been dogged by her votes to repeal the Affordable Care Act, which would have caused millions of Americans with preexisting conditions to either lose their insurance or be unable to afford premiums.

And in the face of that criticism, she’s lied and distorted her record, including running an ad featuring her former House campaign manager that falsely said McSally supports preexisting conditions protections.

In fact, just a few weeks ago she celebrated an endorsement from a group that is leading the fight to repeal the ACA — better known as Obamacare.

Inside Elections, a nonpartisan political handicapping outlet, predicts McSally will lose reelection, rating the race a “tilt Democratic” contest.

Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation.