Rubio, McCain turn to general election after primary wins

WASHINGTON — Republican Sens. Marco Rubio of Florida and John McCain of Arizona turned toward the general election Wednesday with GOP control of the Senate at risk, each facing lesser-known Democratic House members who’ve sought to link them to Donald Trump.

Rubio and McCain have two tough months of campaigning ahead, but on Tuesday they easily dispatched their Republican primary opponents, outcomes that underscored the party establishment’s dominance of House and Senate primaries despite the nation’s turbulent anti-establishment mood and Trump’s outsider candidacy.

Not a single senator of either party has lost a primary this year, and in House races only five incumbents have lost, in several cases because they were under indictment.

Rubio and McCain are supporting Trump for president, albeit with obvious reluctance after they were the target of his insults and Rubio ran against Trump for the White House. Unlike other incumbents, Rubio and McCain are extremely well-known with their own brands distinct from Trump’s, but the mogul’s impact on their candidacies remains unpredictable in states with large numbers of Hispanics, many of whom Trump has alienated with his insulting comments about Mexicans and his hard line on immigration.

Trump was speaking about immigration late Wednesday night in Phoenix after a visit to Mexico, but McCain, who avoids talking about Trump or appearing with him, did not plan to attend. Instead he was “spending a much-deserved day off with his wife, Cindy, at their home in Sedona,” his campaign said.

McCain will face Rep. Ann Kirkpatrick, his most formidable Democratic opponent in years, while Rubio faces Rep. Patrick Murphy, a former Republican who won his primary against unpredictable liberal firebrand Rep. Alan Grayson.

Republicans have a 54-46 seat majority in the Senate. Democrats are competing fiercely in several states including Illinois, Wisconsin, New Hampshire and Pennsylvania as they aim to take back Senate control.