Governor Romney joins Martha McSally on the campaign trail

Former Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney and Arizona Governor Doug Ducey joined Congresswoman Martha McSally (R) Friday to rally supporters as early voting kicks off in Arizona.

“Martha McSally is an Air Force Academy graduate. Martha McSally is the first female fighter pilot in combat. Martha McSally is someone who will fight for Arizona,” Governor Doug Ducey (R) said to the sold-out crowd.

McSally is facing Congresswoman Kyrsten Sinema (D) for Senator Jeff Flake’s (R) open U.S. Senate seat. Recent polls show the race is a dead heat. Political analyst Jennifer Duffy recently predicted that the Arizona matchup will be the closest race in the nation.

“This Senate election is literally the firewall to make sure that we keep and grow the Senate majority,” McSally said. “We are literally in a dead heat right now for this Senate seat and this Senate majority. It’s actually ridiculous that we’re in a dead heat right now, if you think about it. When you look at some of the news that has even come out in the news in the past few days about my opponent.”

Former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney (R), who is also running for the U.S. Senate in Utah, told voters that McSally’s values are ones needed in Washington D.C.

“This is the kind of person that Arizona deserves, and the country needs,” Romney exclaimed. “This is the kind of leadership America needs, conservative, Republican leadership! I’m hoping I get elected to the Senate, and I hope when I get there that we’re able to work together to take on some big challenges.”

According to McSally, she wanted to continue serving her country because it is a part of her culture as a veteran.

“This is hard and it’s important, but I had to do it,” McSally said about running for Senate, saying she never planned to be this involved in politics but mentioned having worked for Sen. Jon Kyl for a time during Kyl’s first tenure on Capitol Hill.

“I got to work on his team for a whole year and I kind of blame him for me doing this right now. I didn’t have a high impression of politicians, but I wanted to understand how these policies were being made and I got to work for this man of integrity and honor. I walked away thinking ‘wow we need more people like that.’”

McSally, who was recently endorsed by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, has been hitting the campaign trail hard during the last month before the election to help encourage voters to cast their ballot for her.

“We are now [22] days away from victory, thanks to all of you! Let me tell you, it is so important that you’re here today, it is so important that you’re engaged. but we’ve got to get out there. We’ve got to get out there to our friends and family, on social media, people in our neighborhood, people in our workplace, this is going to come down to the get out to vote,” McSally said to supporters.

She started last week with a “Women in Leadership” roundtable where she was joined by Secretary of Transportation Elaine Chao (R) and former Arizona Governor Jan Brewer (R), followed by co-hosting an economic roundtable with Gov. Ducey, and ending the week with the rally in Gilbert.

For more information about Congresswoman McSally click here. The midterm election will be held on November 6, 2018, to find your polling location, click here.