John McCain's former chief of staff might run for Senate in Arizona — as a Democrat

Grant Woods, John McCain's former chief of staff, is considering running for Senate in Arizona as a Democrat, he told The Washington Post on Wednesday.

Woods, who also once served as Arizona's attorney general, was the late senator's chief of staff when he was a congressman. McCain died late last month of brain cancer, and Woods told the Post he looks at things differently since "the passing of John McCain. It's challenging for me to be so involved in everything that we did to honor him over the last week and then think of staying on the sidelines as we face a world without John McCain."

Woods said he has talked with several Democratic senators, including Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (N.Y.), Heidi Heitkamp (N.D.), and Tom Udall (N.M.), about running. Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey (R) selected former Sen. Jon Kyl to succeed McCain, and Kyl has said he will serve through at least the end of this Congress. Voters will pick a replacement in 2020, and Woods told the Post he's taking his time deciding whether or not to run, but he knows one thing — as long as Trump is leading the party, he will never be the Republican candidate for anything. "I'm not going to hold my breath on Trump because I'm not going to pass out," he said.

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