FORMER Republican presidential candidate John McCain is predicting his party will regain control of both houses of congress in November’s mid-term elections.
Senator McCain comfortably defeated conservative challenger J. D. Hayworth in the Republican primary for his Arizona seat yesterday after his position had appeared at serious risk.
With Mr Hayworth drawing support from the conservative Tea Party movement and capitalising on a perceived voter sentiment against “incumbents” in Washington, Senator McCain’s long career had looked finished.
But he turned the tables after spending $US20 million ($23m) in campaign funds and reversing his historically tolerant position on illegal immigration.
Senator McCain’s campaign machine ran damaging ads that portrayed Mr Hayworth as a radio huckster and promoter of info-mercials advising people how to win free taxpayer money.
The 73-year-old senator also scored support from his former vice-presidential running mate, Sarah Palin, a Tea Party favourite, and he dumped his former image as a “maverick” by embracing the Republican Party brand.
Senator McCain is now favoured to win his Arizona senate seat for a sixth time, expected to be his last.
In a key primary contest yesterday for the Democratic Party in Florida, billionaire Jeff Greene lost his bid to defeat incumbent senator Kendrick Meek after funding his campaign with tens of millions of his dollars from his own pocket.
Mr Greene, who made his wealth from real estate, had attracted notoriety over his links to disgraced former boxer Mike Tyson and former madam Heidi Fleiss and was easily beaten by Senator Meek.
But the amount of his own money he was willing to spend on the Democratic Party primary in Florida was nonetheless considered to jeopardise Senator Meek’s position.
In November’s mid-term elections, Senator Meek will face the endorsed Republican Senate candidate Marco Rubio, a Tea Party favourite and former state house speaker.
A third candidate is Charlie Crist, the moderate former Republican governor of Florida who lost party support after being seen to endorse President Barack Obama and is now running as an independent for the Senate.
Mr Rubio is in a strong position to win the Florida senate seat, although Mr Crist has strong local support and some Democrats hope that he might help hold their numbers in the Senate if he were to pull off a surprise win.
In Alaska, senator Lisa Murkowski was last night fighting a tight contest against a Tea Party-backed candidate, war veteran Joe Miller, in a primary to determine the Republican Senate candidate.
Significant in the Alaskan contest has been Ms Palin’s endorsement of Mr Miller, who was ahead in counting last night.
Despite her backing Mr Miller and a confirmed winner in Senator McCain, Ms Palin has chosen the loser in the past six Republican primary races. Some commentators claim it could be a sign her influence is waning.
Senator McCain yesterday described his battle in Arizona as “a tough, hard-fought primary”. He said he was confident Republicans would regain control of congress from the Democrats, winning majorities in the Senate and the House of Representatives.
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