By Al Weaver & David M. Drucker | Washington Examiner
Sen. Jon Kyl lingered beside his white Corvette a few days before the midterm elections, as if to signal plans to make a fast get-away from Congress and return to the perks of the private sector.
The Arizona Republican, campaigning for Rep. Martha McSally — who would eventually lose a hard fought-bid for his old Senate seat — never intended to spend much time on Capitol Hill after accepting Gov. Doug Ducey’s appointment to succeed the late Sen. John McCain in early September.
Leaning against his eye-catching Corvette, decked out in red, white, and blue racing stripes, Kyl discussed his return Senate sojourn since retiring in 2013. It was clear he didn’t miss his old job and had no intention of sticking around.
“‘Enjoy’ is not the right word,” Kyl told the Washington Examinerin Phoenix, Ariz., several weeks ago. “It’s hard.”
Not much has changed in the days since, even though Kyl, a former minority whip, retired after the 2012 elections, two years before Senate Republicans won back the majority. He is widely expected to depart at the end of the 115th Congress, which would be a matter of weeks, say
Republican insiders familiar with his thinking. The senator telegraphed as much this week, after returning from the Thanksgiving holiday.
Kyl said he held multiple conversations Ducey last week about his future. “He and I have had a couple of conversations and we need to have some more,” Kyl told the Washington Examiner.
