Sen. Jeff Flake Announces He’s Not Running for Reelection

Senator Jeff Flake, one of President Trump’s most vocal Republican critics in the Senate, has announced that he is not running for reelection.

The Arizona Republic broke the news, and Flake very directly makes it clear that he’s concerned about the state of the GOP:

He told The Arizona Republic ahead of his announcement that he has become convinced “there may not be a place for a Republican like me in the current Republican climate or the current Republican Party.”

Flake said he has not “soured on the Senate” and loves the institution, but that as a traditional, libertarian-leaning conservative Republican he is out of step with today’s Trump-dominated GOP.

“This spell will pass, but not by next year,” Flake said.

He added, “The path that I would have to travel to get the Republican nomination is a path I’m not willing to take, and that I can’t in good conscience take.”

This news comes just weeks after Bob Corker –– another strong Republican critic of the President’s –– announced he’s not running for reelection either. And after Corker went public with some of his tough talk about Trump earlier this month, Flake said a lot of Republicans share Corker’s concerns.

See more of Flake’s comments here:

Flake says to stay a GOP senator he would have to “condone behavior I can’t condone.” Unequivocal rebuke of enabling in GOP. ht @BenjySarlin pic.twitter.com/tW01YmakGn

— Todd Zwillich (@toddzwillich) October 24, 2017

[image via screengrab]

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Follow Josh Feldman on Twitter: @feldmaniac

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