Senate Minority Whip Jon Kyl's retirement will open up a major GOP leadership slot. | REUTERS Sen. Kyl announces his retirement

Arizona Sen. Jon Kyl announced Thursday that he would retire after his current term, creating the fifth open seat Senate race of the 2012 cycle.

Speaking at a press conference in Phoenix, the Senate’s second-ranking Republican said, “There’s more to life than being a United States senator. I never anticipated I would be in public service for 26 years.”


The 68-year-old Kyl noted he made his announcement in order to give his replacement “totally sufficient opportunity to raise funds and lay groundwork for a campaign,” but said he had no initial plans to make an endorsement in the GOP primary.

Kyl, who rose to the post of minority whip, will be remembered as a major player on defense policy — he organized a coalition against the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty in the 1990s and became the leading voice against ratification of a nuclear arms treaty with Russia late last year.

He boasted solid approval ratings and appeared to be a strong favorite for reelection if he chose to run. A recent survey by Public Policy Polling pegged his approval rating at 47 percent, an above-average mark for incumbents.

Kyl kept his decision close to the vest but did notify members of the Arizona congressional delegation, many of whom will eye the opportunity in the red state.

“He has had a 25-plus-year run in Congress and is well-liked and respected by all. Only in D.C. would people like you and me think it’s surprising that he thinks it’s a good time for him to retire to the beauty of AZ,” Bob Heckman, a GOP consultant who has worked for Sen. John McCain and knows Kyl, wrote in an e-mail.

Democrats will certainly make a play for the seat, but Republicans will still be favored to hold it. A GOP operative noted that the last time Arizona elected a Democrat to the U.S. Senate was 1988 — 22 years ago.

Arizona Rep. Jeff Flake is “very likely” to enter the Senate race in the coming days, sources told POLITICO. Flake, a six-term congressman who earned a reputation as a reform-minded budget hawk, had knowledge of Kyl’s retirement plans and has been quietly taking steps to prepare for a campaign.

“Sen. Kyl is the quintessential workhorse. With his retirement, Arizona will lose a tireless advocate, the country will lose a stalwart on national defense and foreign affairs and Republicans will lose a lodestar in the Senate. On a personal level, Sen. Kyl has been a mentor for many years, and I’m extremely grateful for his friendship,” Flake said in a statement.

The congressman told POLITICO, “I will announce my plans soon. I would rather not say anything today.”

But one well-placed Republican called a Flake Senate run “a really strong likelihood” and said that an announcement would come in days, not weeks.

Flake received a swift seal of approval from the Club for Growth, which called the congressman a “perfect successor to Jon Kyl in the Senate.” “Run, Jeff, run,” the group’s president, Chris Chocola, said in a statement.

While several Republicans christened Flake as the early front-runner, a slate of contenders will likely eye the open seat opportunity in the red state.

Former Rep. John Shadegg told POLITICO he was “very surprised” by the news, and called Kyl’s retirement “a loss for Arizona and a loss for the nation” but would not discuss his interest in the seat.

But another Republican operative said Tucker Quayle, the older brother of Rep. Ben Quayle, is seriously considering the contest. “He is very bright, very unafraid and very able to articulate his views,” said an Arizona Republican close to the brothers.

In a text message, former Rep. J.D. Hayworth, who challenged McCain for his Senate seat in 2010, wrote, “stay tuned.”

Several GOP operatives acknowledged a tea party candidacy is almost an inevitability in a state that is now known for enacting the nation’s toughest law on illegal immigration.

State Sen. Russell Pearce, the author of the legislation that became the focal point of a national debate, could use his stature within the grass-roots conservative movement as a launching pad for a bid.

Democrats, basking in a bit of promising news after the retirements of two of their own — Sens. Kent Conrad and Jim Webb — contend that the seat will be in play, especially if a crowded and costly primary bruises the eventual GOP nominee.

“Republicans now likely face a primary in Arizona, similar to impending free-for-alls in nearly every other state. Time after time, Republicans nominated unelectable candidates — and they look willing to do so again this cycle,” said Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee spokesman Eric Schultz.

Before she was injured in a shooting last month, Democratic Rep. Gabrielle Giffords was considered a possible candidate for the seat — especially if Kyl were to retire — and several Democrats said they wouldn’t rule her out depending on the progress of her recovery.

“Frankly, for the last year or two, only one name’s been at the top of everybody’s list, and that’s Gabby Giffords,” said one Democrat. “She has the right of first refusal. Hopefully, people will give her the space and time she needs to recover and make that decision.”

Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano, former Reps. Ann Kirkpatrick and Harry Mitchell, 2010 attorney general nominee Felicia Rotellini and U.S. Attorney Dennis Burke are all potential Democratic possibilities, as well.

“The 800-pound gorilla is: Does Janet Napolitano come back and run for Senate? If she comes back and runs, she’s the heavy favorite to win that seat,” said one Arizona Democrat. “Her name ID is higher than everyone else. She’s not as popular as before, but her numbers are still good. She is the one Democrat that Republicans can stomach in the state.”

Department of Homeland Security spokesman Matthew Chandler said he would not “engage in speculation” about the race and said Napolitano is devoting her time to “getting the job done that the president asked her to do.”

Phoenix Mayor Phil Gordon, a Democrat who is term-limited in January 2012, said he is considering jumping in the race.

“The chance to keep working for Phoenix and for Arizona on a national level definitely appeals to me. It would be a chance to continue to lead on issues like job creation and real immigration reform. I’m going to talk to those around me, my family, friends and advisers and do a lot of thinking about this race,” Gordon said.

Scott Wong, Molly Ball and Jennifer Epstein contributed to this report.

CORRECTIONS: An earlier version of this story misspelled the name of former Rep. Ann Kirkpatrick.

An earlier version of this story also incorrectly reported that Rep. Ben Quayle refused to comment.

CORRECTION: Corrected by: Zeeshan Aleem @ 02/10/2011 04:03 PM Added by Zeeshan Aleem at 4 PM on 2/10/11 per Sara Libby CORRECTION: An earlier version of this story misspelled the name of former Rep. Ann Kirkpatrick. An earlier version of this story also reported that Rep. Ben Quayle refused to comment and hung up on a POLITICO reporter. A spokesman with Quayle’s office said the cell phone number that was called no longer belongs to the congressman, and that Quayle did not speak to a POLITICO reporter Thursday.