'{{Short description|Review of the election}} {{Use mdy dates|date=September 2023}} {{Infobox election | election_name = 1986 United States Senate election in Arizona | country = Arizona | type = presidential | ongoing = no | previous_election = 1980 United States Senate election in Arizona | previous_year = 1980 | next_election = 1992 United States Senate election in Arizona | next_year = 1992 | election_date = November 4, 1986 | image_size = 125px | image1 = John McCain 1983.jpg | nominee1 = '''[[John McCain]]''' | party1 = Republican Party (United States) | popular_vote1 = '''521,850''' | percentage1 = '''60.48%''' | image2 = No image.svg | nominee2 = [[Richard Kimball]] | party2 = Democratic Party (United States) | popular_vote2 = 340,965 | percentage2 = 39.51% | map_image = 1986 United States Senate election in Arizona results map by county.svg | map_size = 210px | map_caption = County results <br /> '''McCain:''' {{legend0|#e27f7f|50–60%}} {{legend0|#d75d5d|60-70%}} '''Kimball:''' {{legend0|#7996e2|50–60%}} | title = U.S. Senator | before_election = [[Barry Goldwater]] | before_party = Republican Party (United States) | after_election = [[John McCain]] | after_party = Republican Party (United States) }} {{Elections in Arizona}} The '''1986 United States Senate election in Arizona''' was held on November 4, 1986. Incumbent Republican U.S. Senator [[Barry Goldwater]] decided to retire instead of seeking a sixth term. The open seat was won by [[John McCain]], a Republican congressman from [[Arizona's 1st congressional district]] and former [[United States Navy|Navy officer]], as well as future [[2008 United States presidential election|2008]] presidential nominee against Democrat [[Barack Obama]], as so was Goldwater in [[1964 United States presidential election|1964]] against incumbent Democrat [[Lyndon B. Johnson]]. McCain would remain in the Senate until his death on August 25, 2018. ==General election== ===Candidates=== * [[Richard Kimball]], former member of the Arizona Corporation Commission and State Senator (Democratic) * [[John McCain]], U.S. Representative from [[Phoenix, Arizona|Phoenix]] (Republican) ===Campaign=== Initially, Democrats sought to recruit two-term governor [[Bruce Babbitt|Bruce Babbit]], but Babbit declined, ultimately to focus on a presidential bid.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2023-09-05 |title=Arizona Governor Won't Run in '86 - The Washington Post |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/politics/1985/03/19/arizona-governor-wont-run-in-86/2b8d461f-60ad-43d3-95d0-301ce06abc14/ |access-date=2023-09-05 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230905210854/https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/politics/1985/03/19/arizona-governor-wont-run-in-86/2b8d461f-60ad-43d3-95d0-301ce06abc14/ |archive-date=September 5, 2023 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=1985-03-19 |title=Arizona Governor Tells Plans |language=en-US |pages=21 |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1985/03/19/us/arizona-governor-tells-plans.html |url-status=live |access-date=2023-09-05 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150524170742/https://www.nytimes.com/1985/03/19/us/arizona-governor-tells-plans.html |archive-date=2015-05-24 |issn=0362-4331}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=2023-09-05 |title=BABBITT OPENS PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN - The Washington Post |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/politics/1987/01/08/babbitt-opens-presidential-campaign/e4a8cc5d-d56e-4a62-a45c-576511759a36/ |access-date=2023-09-05 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230905212217/https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/politics/1987/01/08/babbitt-opens-presidential-campaign/e4a8cc5d-d56e-4a62-a45c-576511759a36/ |archive-date=September 5, 2023 }}</ref> Kimball's campaign was subject to negative press from the ''[[Arizona Republic]]'' and ''[[Phoenix Gazette]]''. One Gazette columnist described him as displaying "terminal weirdness."<ref>Nowicki, D. & Muller, B. (March 1, 2007). [http://www.azcentral.com/news/specials/mccain/articles/0301mccainbio-chapter6.html The Senate calls.] ''[[The Arizona Republic]]''. Retrieved September 16, 2007.</ref> McCain ultimately won the election by a margin of 21%.<ref name="elect" /> ===Results=== {{Election box begin | title=General election results<ref name=elect>[http://clerk.house.gov/member_info/electionInfo/1986election.pdf Election Results 1986]</ref> }} {{Election box winning candidate with party link | party = Republican Party (United States) | candidate = [[John McCain]] | votes = 521,850 | percentage = 60.48% | change = +11.02% }} {{Election box candidate with party link|party=Democratic Party (United States)|candidate=[[Richard Kimball]]|votes=340,965|percentage=39.51%|change=-8.87%}} {{Election box write-in with party link | votes = 106 | percentage = 0.01% | change = }} {{Election box majority|votes=180,885|percentage=20.96%|change=+19.88%}} {{Election box turnout|votes=862,921|percentage=|change=}} {{Election box hold with party link | winner = Republican Party (United States) | loser = | swing = }} {{Election box end}} == See also == * [[1986 United States Senate elections]] == References == {{Reflist}} {{United States elections, 1986}} {{Arizona Senatorial elections}} {{John McCain}} [[Category:1986 United States Senate elections|Arizona]] [[Category:United States Senate elections in Arizona|1986]] [[Category:1986 Arizona elections]] [[Category:John McCain]]'