WASHINGTON — Sen. Jeff Flake, R-Ariz., announced Tuesday he will not run for reelection next year, expressing dismay with President Donald Trump and the direction of the Republican Party.
"We must stop pretending that the conduct of some in our executive branch are normal. They are not normal," Flake said in a passionate speech on the Senate floor that was aimed clearly at Trump.
He added, "When the next generation asks us, why didn’t you do something? Why didn’t you speak up? What are we going to say?"
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"There may not be a place for a Republican like me in the current Republican climate or the current Republican Party," Flake, a strong critic of Trump, told the Arizona Republic.
Earlier this year, he published "Conscience of a Conservative: A Rejection of Destructive Politics and a Return to Principle," which drew on conservative icon Barry Goldwater while bashing Trump’s brand of politics.
The one-term senator faced a potentially ugly primary against former state Sen. Kelli Ward, a fire-brand conservative backed by former Trump strategist Steve Bannon who had previously challenged Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz.
Jenny Beth Martin of Tea Party Patriots, which hails from the Trump wing, called Flake's announcement, "the best decision he ever made as senator."
Flake is an orthodox conservative who took an ideological stand against much of what Trump stands for while still voting with the president and GOP leaders the vast majority of the time.
Despite Flake’s widely recognized talents as a politician, his positioning ultimately left him alienated from both wings of his increasingly divided party.
"He’s sort of in the worst of both worlds," said Arizona Democratic strategist Andy Barr. "Moderates have come to believe that he’ll vote for them when he won’t, and Trump people think he’s the antichrist for some reason."
Democrats had put Flake’s seat in the number-two spot on their target list in next year’s midterm elections, but it’s not immediately clear what Flake’s retirement means for the race.
On the one hand, open seats tend to be more vulnerable, but on the other hand polls showed Flake was unpopular in Arizona, and therefore potentially uniquely vulnerable.
Arizona Senator Jeff Flake announced on Tuesday he will not seek reelection when his term in the  is up next year, citing issues within the United States Republican Party and with President Donald Trump, whose behavior he called "reckless, outrageous, and undignified." The Trump administration said Flake had poor support among his constituency.

In a speech on the floor of the Senate, Flake said, "The notion that one should stay silent as the norms and values that keep America strong are undermined and as the alliances and agreements that ensure the stability of the entire world are routinely threatened by the level of thought that goes into 140 characters — the notion that one should say and do nothing in the face of such mercurial behavior is ahistoric and," he said, "I believe, profoundly misguided." He later added on CNN's '''', "It's difficult to move forward in a Republican primary if you have been critical of any of the behavior that's gone on... We Republicans certainly can't countenance that kind of behavior. We ought to stand up and say 'This is not right. This is not us. This is not conservative.' "
Senator Jeff Flake in 2016.
"Based on the lack of support he has from the people of Arizona, retirement's probably a good move,"   told the media. Recent polls showed Flake has limited popularity with Republicans in Arizona.

Last year President Trump told other Arizona politicians he planned to personally spend US$10 million to see that Flake did not win the Republican primary, the intra-party election that names the party's official candidate. About two months ago Trump tweeted in support of Flake's rival for the primary nod, , "Great to see that Dr. Kelli Ward is running against Flake Jeff Flake, who is WEAK on borders, crime and a non-factor in Senate. He's toxic!"

Republican Senators  and , who have also been critical of President Trump, stood and clapped at the end of Flake's floor speech. Corker later called Flake a "real conservative." Republican Senator  of Maine described herself as deeply disappointed by Flake's decision. Republican Senator  and  Senator  referred to it as "sad" and "depressing."

Kaine commented, "When someone as good and decent a person as Jeff Flake does not think he can continue in the body, it's a very tragic day for the institution."

Flake has recently published a book, ''Conscience of a Conservative: A Rejection of Destructive Politics and a Return to Principle'', in which he criticizes what he sees as Trump's negative effect on the tone of United States politics. Politically, Flake has differed from President Trump on trade and immigration, specifically the  and the , with Flake in favor of both agreements and Trump against.  Flake also co-authored a 2013 law that would have given undocumented immigrants a path to citizenship if it had passed. Trump is in the early stages of building a wall on the U.S.– border in an attempt to prevent people from entering the U.S. illegally and has issued three executive orders limiting immigration from specific countries, though these were later blocked.

United States senators serve six-year terms.  One third of the Senate is elected or reelected every two years.



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CAT:United StatesCAT:Politics and conflictsCAT:ElectionsCAT:Republican Party (United States)CAT:ArizonaCAT:Donald Trump