On Friday, GOP Rep, Martha McSally kicked off her long-expected bid for Arizona's open Senate seat. The GOP Senate leadership hasn't done much to hide that they prefer McSally, who represents a competitive seat around Tucson, to any of their alternatives, and it's not hard to see why. Former state Sen. Kelli Ward is a lousy fundraiser, while Joe Arpaio badly lost re-election as Maricopa County sheriff in 2016, and plenty of Republicans are convinced his new Senate campaign is really just a scam to help him raise money for his many legal bills.

However, McSally is trying to avoid being caricatured as a dreaded establishment candidate. While McSally didn't endorse Trump during the 2016 campaign and called for him to quit the race after he was caught bragging on tape about sexual assault, she's been a reliable Trump ally over the last year. McSally's campaign kickoff video featured a clip of Trump exclaiming, "My friend, Martha McSally, she’s the real deal. … She’s tough," followed by the candidate saying, "Like our president, I’m tired of P.C. politicians and their B.S. excuse." That may enough to get her through the late summer primary against disorganized opponents, though it could certainly be a liability in a general election in a state Trump carried just 48-45.

However, Democrats certainly won't be taking McSally for granted. The congresswoman has a reputation for being a strong fundraiser, and she wasted no time reminding voters that she was the Air Force's first female combat pilot. The GOP nominee will likely take on Rep. Kyrsten Sinema, who currently faces no significant opposition in the Democratic primary.