The Arizona Republic

Ward knocks McCain over Mueller event

Incumbent leads by 26 ahead of Tuesday primary

- DAN NOWICKI

Kelli Ward, the Senate Republican challenger in Arizona’s Tuesday primary election who made national news for declaring incumbent Sen. John McCain old and weak, on Friday made a dismissive comment about McCain’s plans “to dedicate some playground equipment” on Saturday, not mentioning that the event is the grand opening of a playground in honor of Kayla Mueller, the 26-year-old hostage from Prescott who was murdered by Islamic State militants.

Ward, a former state senator from Lake Havasu City, made the comment while criticizin­g a new poll that showed McCain, R-Ariz., with a commanding 26 percentage-point lead over her.

Ward didn’t elaborate, but seemed to suggest McCain wouldn’t be attending the event if he wasn’t worried about a tight race.

“He’s going to Yavapai County tomorrow to dedicate some playground equipment,” Ward said during an interview on conservati­ve commentato­r Sean Hannity’s national radio program. “He definitely is showing the despera-

tion in the campaign. So, you know, if this polling were true, why would he bother?”

McCain remains close to Mueller’s family and spoke at her memorial service. After Mueller was kidnapped in Syria in 2013, McCain worked behind the scenes in an unsuccessf­ul effort to secure her release. Mueller’s death was confirmed by the U.S. government on Feb. 6, 2015.

McCain is expected to speak during Saturday’s grand opening of Kayla’s Hands Playground at Prescott’s Pioneer Park. Carl and Marsha Mueller, Kayla Mueller’s parents, Arizona Public Service Chief Executive Don Brandt and Arizona Diamondbac­ks President and CEO Derrick Hall also are scheduled to attend.

An emotional McCain discussed at a Feb. 13, 2015, news conference his efforts to work with his contacts in Qatar, Iraqi Kurdistan and Saudi Arabia to help her. “I failed. Because I was unable to get her back, and I view it as one of the really sad things in my life, that I was unable to,” he said.

Ward has been making the national media rounds after telling MSNBC’s “Meet the Press Daily” on Thursday that McCain “is falling down on the job. He has gotten weak. He has gotten old. I do want to wish him a happy birthday. He is going to be 80 on Monday, and I want to give him the best birthday present ever, the gift of retirement.”

Ward, 47, added that she is a physician and knows “what happens to the body and the mind at the end of life.”

McCain’s campaign called Ward’s focus on his age a “dishonorab­le” personal attack from a “desperate” candidate.

Nowicki is The Republic’s national political reporter. Follow him on Twitter at @dannowicki and on his official Facebook page.

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