Washington, January 21: Republican Senator John McCain said Wednesday his former running mate in the 2008 presidential election, Sarah Palin, will campaign for him in Arizona for the Senate seat.
McCain said in a statement that Palin, who has recently joined Fox News channel as a commentator, would help him as he run for a fifth term as a senator in the upcoming election in March.
“I’m looking forward to getting back on the campaign trail with my former running mate, and I know my fellow Arizonans will welcome her as well,” McCain said. “Sarah energized our nation and remains a leading voice in the Republican Party.”
The former Alaska governor was McCain’s choice for vice president on the Republican ticket in 2008.
Palin, the most powerful brand in Republican politics today, confirmed the news on her Facebook page, saying that “I look forward to helping heroes and statesmen like Senator John McCain.”
Senator McCain’s standing in Arizona could take a hit as his wife, Cindy, and his daughter, Meghan, are backing same-sex marriages that were banned in California in 2008.
McCain’s office said in a statement that the senator respects the views of members of his family but remains opposed to gay marriage.
McCain backed an Arizona ballot measure passed by voters in 2008 that defined marriage as between one man and one woman. Palin has also been an opponent of gay marriage.
——-Agencies