Former Rep. Mary Bono, R-Calif., has an idea for who should replace the late Sen. John McCain in the Senate: McCain's wife Cindy.
Bono is familiar with the practice because she replaced her late husband Sonny after he died in 1998. She told Time that it seems to make sense to put Cindy McCain in the Senate.
"If a brain surgeon dies, the wife doesn't step in and perform brain surgery," Bono said. Politics "is a far cry from brain surgery… It takes common sense. It takes empathy. It takes intuition. It takes a whole set of skills that almost all of us have. But most of all, it takes the courage to just step up and do it.
"Cindy could honor the legacy of her husband by picking up the mantle. But part of that legacy is the freedom and the courage to be your own person. I actually think she's the best one for the job."
McCain died Aug. 25 after a year-long battle with brain cancer. His death came one day after his family announced he would no longer receive treatment.
Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey is now tasked with naming a replacement to take McCain's place until 2020, at which point a special election would be held to determine who finishes the term that ends in January 2023.
Services for the late senator began Wednesday in Phoenix, and his remains were flown to Washington, D.C. on Thursday. His body will lie in state in the Capitol Building Friday before a memorial service on Saturday and his burial Sunday at the Naval Academy in Annapolis.
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