# 1986 United States Senate election in Arizona

"none" is preferred when the title is sufficiently descriptive; see [[WP:SDNONE]]
Elections in Arizona :
Federal government
Presidential elections
1912
1916
1920
1924
1928
1932
1936
1940
1944
1948
1952
1956
1960
1964
1968
1972
1976
1980
1984
1988
1992
1996
2000
2004
2008
2012
2016
2020
2024
Presidential primaries
Democratic
2004
2008
2016
2020
2024
Republican
2008
2012
2016
2024
U.S. Senate elections
1912
1914
1916
1920
1922
1926
1928
1932
1934
1938
1940
1944
1946
1950
1952
1956
1958
1962
1964
1968
1970
1974
1976
1980
1982
1986
1988
1992
1994
1998
2000
2004
2006
2010
2012
2016
2018
2020 sp
2022
2024
2028
U.S. House of Representatives elections
1911
1912
1914
1916
1918
1920
1922
1924
1926
1928
1930
1932
1933
AL sp
1934
1936
1938
1940
1942
1944
1946
1948
1950
1952
1954
1956
1958
1960
1961
2nd sp
1962
1964
1966
1968
1970
1972
1974
1976
1978
1980
1982
1984
1986
1988
1990
1991
2nd sp
1992
1994
1996
1998
2000
2002
2004
2006
8th
2008
2010
2012
8th sp
2014
2016
2018
8th sp
2020
2022
2024 :
State government
State elections
2006
2010
2014
2016
2018
2020
2022
2024
Gubernatorial elections
1911
1914
1916
1918
1920
1922
1924
1926
1928
1930
1932
1934
1936
1938
1940
1942
1944
1946
1948
1950
1952
1954
1956
1958
1960
1962
1964
1966
1968
1970
1974
1978
1982
1986
1990
1994
1998
2002
2006
2010
2014
2018
2022
2026
Secretary of State elections
2014
2018
2022
Attorney General elections
2018
2022
Treasurer elections
2022
Superintendent elections
2018
2022
Senate elections
1956
1958
1960
1962
1964
1966
1968
1970
1972
1974
1976
1978
1980
1982
1984
1986
1988
1990
1992
1994
1996
1998
2000
2002
2004
2006
2008
2010
2012
2014
2016
2018
2020
2022
2024
House of Representatives elections
1956
1958
1960
1962
1964
1966
1968
1970
1972
1974
1976
1978
1980
1982
1984
1986
1988
1990
1992
1994
1996
1998
2000
2002
2004
2006
2008
2010
2012
2014
2016
2018
2020
2022
2024 :
Ballot measures
List of Arizona ballot propositions
2000
203
2004
200
2006
107
204
207
2008
102
2010
100
203
2020
207
2024
139 :
Phoenix
Mayoral elections
2011
2015
2018–19 (sp)
2020
2024 :
Tucson
Mayoral elections
1991
1995
1999
2003
2007
2011
2015
2019
2023 :
Other localities
Gilbert
2012
Glendale
2012
2016
Maricopa County
2024
Mesa
2008
2012
2020
2024
Scottsdale
2008
2012 :
vte :
The 1986 United States Senate election in Arizona was held on November 4, 1986. Incumbent Republican U.S. Senator Barry Goldwater decided to retire instead of seeking a sixth term. The open seat was won by John McCain, a Republican congressman from Arizona's 1st congressional district and former Navy officer, as well as future 2008 presidential nominee against Democrat Barack Obama, as so was Goldwater in 1964 against incumbent Democrat Lyndon B. Johnson. McCain would remain in the Senate until his death on August 25, 2018.

## General election
### Candidates

* Richard Kimball, former member of the Arizona Corporation Commission and State Senator (Democratic)
* John McCain, U.S. Representative from Tempe (Republican)

### Campaign

Initially, Democrats sought to recruit two-term governor Bruce Babbit, but Babbit declined, ultimately to focus on a presidential bid.
Kimball's campaign was subject to negative press from the Arizona Republic and Phoenix Gazette. One Gazette columnist described him as displaying "terminal weirdness." McCain ultimately won the election by a margin of 21%.

### Results

General election results :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Republican | John McCain | 521,850 | 60.48% | +11.02% |
| | Democratic | Richard Kimball | 340,965 | 39.51% | −8.87% |
| | Write-in | Write-in | 106 | 0.01% | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 180,885 | 20.96% | +19.88% |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 862,921 | | |
| | Republican hold | Republican hold | Swing | | |