GOP Sen. Jeff Flake, outspoken Trump critic, will not seek re-election

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published 24 October 2017

Sen. Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.) announced Tuesday that he will not run for re-election in 2018. "It would require me to believe in positions I don't hold on such issues as trade and immigration and it would require me to condone behavior that I cannot condone," Flake told The Arizona Republic in an interview. He added: "There may not be a place for a Republican like me in the current Republican climate or the current Republican Party."

Flake has been an outspoken critic of President Trump, an enemy of Stephen Bannon's, and a frequent target of the commander in chief's tweets: "He's toxic!" Trump proclaimed in August. In Flake's absence, former state senator Kelli Ward has emerged as the top contender for the Arizona seat. She lost a primary challenge to Sen. John McCain (R) in the state last year.

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Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.