In Arizona, tea party hopes are pinned on U.S. Rep. Matt Salmon, a conservative urged to make a Senate primary bid against the state's most veteran and powerful lawmaker, John McCain,
The Hill said.
Thus far, Salmon has not revealed his future plans, noting he was focused on doing his job in the House, where he first served from 1995 to 2001 and returned after a failed gubernatorial bid for a second stint in Congress in 2012.
"I'm not saying that I'm in. I'm not saying that I'm not in," Salmon, 57, told The Hill. "I haven't even said that I'm running for re-election.
He added: "I'm just focused on my job right now. I'm not focused on the campaign."
McCain, for his part, is taking any notion of a challenger seriously, even as he seeks his sixth Senate term at age 78. He has already shown his fundraising prowess, raising $1.6 million in the first quarter of 2015, The Hill said.
That money came in, even as he only formally announced his re-election bid on April 7,
CNN said.
"Anybody who's not worried about re-election is foolish," McCain told The Hill. "In other words, you have to hope for the best, plan for the worst and be ready to engage in a vigorous campaign. There's an old Irish saying: 'A fight not joined is a fight not enjoyed.' "
McCain told
Politico he was ready for a primary opponent and knew the tea party was gunning for his seat.
"Absolutely, there will be a tea party challenge," said McCain, who has a healthy $3.6 million in his campaign war chest thus far. "I think they have to be ready. Everybody knows it's not beanbag."
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