Sen. John McCain fended off Republican challenger J.D. Hayworth in the Arizona Senate primary Tuesday, virtually assuring he’ll keep his seat in November despite signs earlier in the year that an anti-Washington wave could wipe out one of Capitol Hill’s most influential leaders.
Hayworth at one point in the campaign seemed poised to leverage Tea Party support and give McCain a run for his political life. Outsider challenges had already led to the primary defeats for Republican Utah Sen. Bob Bennett and Democratic Pennsylvania Sen. Arlen Specter, and McCain was potentially vulnerable nearly two years after losing the 2008 presidential election to Barack Obama.
But Hayworth struggled to build his anti-establishment credentials and seriously erode McCain’s popularity in the polls. Though Hayworth slammed McCain for voting for the Wall Street bailout and allegedly being soft on illegal immigration, McCain worked hard to show he was tough on border security.
It didn’t hurt that McCain reportedly spent about $20 million in advertising, far outpacing his competitor, and an embarrassing infomercial surfaced showing Hayworth pitching seminars on how to win free federal money.
