No, @kyrstensinema won because she ran a good race and had a message that resonated with Arizona's voters. The sooner we Republicans recognize this, the sooner we will we be in a position to win the next contest. https://t.co/iMNwvMWxKJ

Flake's comments came just days after Bruce Ash, a Tucson, Ariz., resident and a national GOP committee member, said that Sinema earned a Senate seat because "dumb ass people" on the Republican side did not vote in her race against then-Rep. Martha McSally Martha Elizabeth McSallyKelly's lead widens to 10 points in Arizona Senate race: poll Senate Republicans scramble to contain fallout from Woodward bombshell Mark Kelly apologizes for offensive 2018 joke MORE (R).

"Her politics and positions will lean further left than the dumb ass people on our side ever imagined when tens of thousands left their ballots blank in the McSally-Sinema election which led the way to her being seated in the U.S. Senate this past week," Ash wrote.

The Arizona Republic noted that Ash also appeared to take issue with Sinema's decision to be sworn in to Congress with a law book.

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He posted on Facebook a message on Saturday that said: "Sinema: First Openly Bisexual Senator Wont' Take Oath on Bible... Arizona Proud?"

Sinema defeated McSally in the race to replace Flake in November. Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey (R) in December tapped McSally to fill the seat of late Sen. John McCain John Sidney McCainKelly's lead widens to 10 points in Arizona Senate race: poll COVID response shows a way forward on private gun sale checks Trump pulls into must-win Arizona trailing in polls MORE (R).

McSally and Sinema became the first two women to be sworn in to Congress from Arizona last week. Sinema also became the first openly bisexual person to be in the Senate.