Former defense leaders rally to support McCain's re-elec | MilitaryTimes

A group of 56 retired military general and flag officers offered a strong endorsement of Republican Arizona Sen. John McCain on Tuesday, calling for his re-election and labeling him an invaluable leader in Congress on defense issues.

“Today’s world is an exceedingly dangerous place,” the group wrote in a piece for the Arizona Republic. “It is clear to us that our country and the United States Senate can ill afford to lose the benefit of Sen. McCain’s battle-tested experience; his grasp of the needs of our military personnel, America’s veterans and their families; his internationally respected voice; and the model of service and inspiration he provides to our young men and women in uniform.”

The endorsement comes amid a difficult re-election fight for McCain, a five-term senator who chairs the Senate Armed Services Committee.

McCain has sparred publicly with Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump over the last year, but he has also backed him to be the next commander in chief, creating ire from voters from all sides in his home state.

The endorsement letter on Tuesday included a number of notable signers. Retired Marine Corps Gen. John Allen, who spoke on behalf of Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton at her party’s convention last month, leads the list.
Retired Army Gen. Keith Alexander and Air Force Gen. Michael Hayden, who both served as National Security Agency director, also signed on, as did former Army Chief of Staff Gen. Ray Odierno, who publicly sparred with McCain on a number of defense issues during his time at the Pentagon.

The group praised McCain’s career as “one of service and sacrifice for our common good, and of accumulated experience that our next president will need during moments of national challenge and peril."

They also said that McCain will “continue championing needed reform in the Defense Department” if re-elected, a key focus point of the Senate Armed Services Committee under his leadership the last two years.

McCain faces a pair of Republican challengers in his primary race later this month, and would square off against Democratic Arizona Rep. Ann Kirkpatrick in the general election if he advances. Recent polls have shown a close battle in each contest.

The full list of signers is available on the Arizona Republic’s website.