Sen. Jon Kyl (R-Ariz.) will step down at the end of the month, making room for another appointment by Gov. Doug Ducey, according to a statement by the governor.
Kyl, a former three-term senator, came out of retirement to fill the seat of the late Sen. John McCain.
“When I accepted your appointment, I agreed to complete the work of the 115th Congress and then reevaluate continuing to serve,” Kyl said in his resignation letter. “I have concluded that it would be best if I resign so that your new appointee can begin the new term with all other Senators in January 2019 and can serve a full two (potentially four) years.”
Read More: Former Arizona Sen. Jon Kyl to succeed McCain in the Senate
In his letter, the senator thanked Ducey for the appointment, and called it an honor and a privilege.
The governor's statement said Kyl's replacement would be announced in “the near future.”
“Senator Kyl didn’t need to return to the Senate. His legacy as one of Arizona’s most influential and important political figures was already without question," Ducey said in the statement. "But he did return, and I remain deeply grateful for his willingness to step up and serve again when Arizona needed him. I wish him and his family all the best.”
Kyl was most recently the senior of counsel at the Washington D.C. law firm Covington & Burling, but it is unclear whether or not he will return.
Names that have been under consideration for replacement, according to reports, include Rep. Martha McSally, who lost in a contentious bid during the midterm election for Arizona’s other Senate seat vacated by Sen. Jeff Flake.
Reach the reporter at isaac.windes@asu.edu or follow @isaacdwindes on Twitter.
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