An Arizona county’s Republican committee voted to censure Cindy McCain, widow of the late Sen. John McCain (R-Az.), according to multiple reports.
The Maricopa County Republican Committee voted to censure McCain on Saturday, the Arizona Republic reported, citing her support for “leftist causes” like gay marriage, larger government and “others that run counter to Republican values.”
The committee also said she “failed” to support conservative candidates and has “supported globalist policies and candidates,” including Democrats such as President-elect Joe Biden, the newspaper reported.
In the past, members of the McCain family including the late senator, Cindy McCain and their daughter Meghan McCain, have been critical of President Trump. John McCain also caught the ire of the president before he passed from brain cancer in 2018.
Cindy McCain publicly supported Biden’s presidential bid, and even serves on his transition advisory board. Biden won Arizona in the 2020 election, the first Democrat to carry the state since 1996.
The censure also calls her a “troubled individual, with a past riddled with drug abuse and illegalities associated with such behavior.” The Republic notes that McCain has been open about her struggles with addiction to the pain killers Percocet and Vicodin.
The resolution passed by a 4-1 margin among 1,400 attendees, according to local NBC affiliate 12 News. The Arizona Republican Party said on Twitter that it will vote on a similar resolution when it meets on Jan. 23.
The @MaricopaGOP has voted and passed a resolution to censure Cindy McCain. The Arizona Republican Party has no comment on the county’s resolution. The state party will vote on a similar resolution at our annual meeting on January 23, 2021.
– Arizona Republican Party (@AZGOP) January 9, 2021
The censure comes as the Arizona GOP suffered losses in what appeared to be a relatively conservative state in the last two election cycles.
Aside from Biden’s victory, Sens. Kyrsten Sinema (D) and Mark Kelly (D) both prevailed in the 2018 midterms and 2020 respectively. Their wins gave Democrats control of both Senate seats for the first time in almost 70 years.
According to 12 News, their victories are due in large part to Maricopa County which has seen a change in demographics over the years.
In response to the censure, McCain said on Twitter “I am a proud lifelong Republican and will continue to support candidates who put country over party and stand for the rule of law.”
I am a proud lifelong Republican and will continue to support candidates who put country over party and stand for the rule of law. https://t.co/iTVj0pibOm
– Cindy McCain (@cindymccain) January 9, 2021
