Kyl says Hayworth unlikely to run against McCain, let alone win

Former Rep. J.D. Hayworth (R-Ariz.) is unlikely to run in a GOP primary against Sen. John McCain, let alone win, Sen. Jon Kyl (R-Ariz.) said Monday.

Kyl, the second-ranking Republican in the Senate, said he expects the former congressman, who's been mulling a primary challenge to McCain's right next year, to carry on his activities as host of a radio show, and not as a candidate.

"No, I don't think that J.D. Hayworth will run," Kyl told reporters, according to AZCentral.com. "He's got a radio program that I understand is very popular. A lot of folks listen to it. My guess is he will carry on his political activity in that venue."

Hayworth made his name in Congress for being a staunch opponent of immigration reform, a cause McCain favors. The issue is especially salient in Arizona, a state that shares its southern border with Mexico.

A recent Rasmussen poll showed Hayworth within the margin of error of a potential matchup of the 2008 GOP presidential nominee.

The poll, released Friday, showed 45 percent of Republican voters in the state favoring McCain in a primary, compared to 43 percent for Hayworth. The poll, conducted Nov. 18, has a 4 percent margin of error.

If Hayworth were to run, Kyl said, he'd still put the smart (Monopoly) money on McCain in any primary.

"I guess it's illegal to bet on the outcome of elections, but I'll just predict that John McCain will have another six years representing the people of the state of Arizona in the U.S. Senate after the next election," Kyl said.

McCain is running for his fifth term in the Senate next year, while Hayworth served six terms in the House before losing to now-Rep. Harry Mitchell (D-Ariz.) in the 2006 midterm elections.