In 2010, conservatives tried to boot Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) by having former congressman J.D. Hayworth mount a primary challenge; it failed. Now, as we get into the thick of the 2016 election cycle, Sen. McCain once again is fighting for his political life, but he doesn’t have the war chest he had six years ago. McCain had access to nearly $20 million from his failed 2008 presidential campaign. Moreover, with nearly 100 percent name recognition, he’s running neck-and-neck with Democratic challenger Rep. Ann Kirkpatrick. The latest Real Clear Politics average has McCain up 5 points, but the two previous polls on this race had him up within the margin of error (via the Hill):

[…]

McCain’s path to victory is complicated by the likelihood the GOP ticket will be headed by Donald Trump, who has an overwhelmingly negative rating among Hispanic voters, a powerful and growing electoral bloc in Arizona.

Trump has scheduled three events in Arizona Saturday with an eye on the winner-take-all presidential primary Tuesday. He will campaign with Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio, whose get-tough approach to illegal immigration has made him a national lightning rod.

[…]

I don’t see how Donald Trump helps any incumbent Republicans. I think he’s a drag on the ticket,” Kolbe said.

While it’s too early to tell just how serious a threat his Democratic opponent will pose, McCain’s taking it seriously. He plans to work around the state over the March recess to shore up his relations with potential voters.

Notably, he will skip the Trump rallies in Phoenix, Fountain Hills and Tucson.

McCain held town halls Friday in Mohave County in the sparsely populated northwestern corner of the state with a local electric coop and one with the chamber of commerce in Bullhead City.

Next week he’ll travel to the White Mountains in the west to hold several events with fellow Sen. Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.), whose family is from the area.

The following week he’ll travel through Phoenix, Tucson, Sierra Vista and Prescott, with several other stops along the way.

“It will be a tough race. I think it is very hard to predict this year because of all of the unique elements of this political year both on the Democratic and particularly the Republican side,” said former Sen. Jon Kyl (R-Ariz.).

“That said, I don’t know that I’ve ever seen Sen. McCain more energetic and engaged in a campaign effort than he is this time. He understands it’s a very unpredictable year. He has seen what’s happened to other candidates who have not taken their re-election seriously,” he added.

[…]

Kirkpatrick, who raised $1.8 million in 2015, more than any other Senate Democratic candidate in state history, according to her campaign, will make every effort to tie McCain to Trump.

“With the really divisive and frankly racist comments that Trump has made about immigrants, he deserves condemnation,” Kirkpatrick said. “We can’t just look the other way. And yet John McCain has come out over and over and over again, saying that he will support Trump if he is the nominee.”