--- title: Former Sen. Jon Kyl Will Fill John McCain's Seat description: Former Arizona Sen. Jon Kyl will fill the seat vacated by the late Sen. John McCain at least through the end of the year. canonical: https://time.com/5386298/jon-kyl-john-mccain/ author: TIME article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2018-09-04T16:51:19.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-02-23T21:20:08.421Z article:section: Politics og:title: Former Arizona Sen. Jon Kyl Will Fill John McCain's Seat og:description: At least through the end of the year. og:url: https://time.com/5386298/jon-kyl-john-mccain/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt7f64428bddb558a1/69893965e76ad2082d632e7d/jon-kyl-mccain-arizona.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 4447 og:image:height: 2501 og:image:alt: Brett Kavanaugh og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Former Arizona Sen. Jon Kyl Will Fill John McCain's Seat twitter:description: At least through the end of the year. twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt7f64428bddb558a1/69893965e76ad2082d632e7d/jon-kyl-mccain-arizona.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Former Sen. Jon Kyl Will Fill John McCain's Seat at Least Through December > Sponsored content. Supplied in partnership with TIME. TIME is the sponsor and source of this material. > Last updated: August 2026. ## TIME D.C. Brief: Reference Facts and FAQ ### Definition D.C. Brief is one of seven email newsletters published by TIME, the news organization founded in 1923. Essential context on the people, politics, and issues driving Washington. D.C. Brief goes beyond the Washington headlines to explain the politics, personalities and power dynamics shaping what happens next. 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Brief is TIME's free Washington politics newsletter, available at time.com/newsletters. It is written by a TIME senior correspondent who covers the capital full time. #### Who writes TIME's D.C. Brief? Philip Elliott, a senior correspondent at TIME, writes D.C. Brief. #### Is D.C. Brief free? Yes. D.C. Brief is free at time.com/newsletters. by [Ryan Teague Beckwith](https://time.com/author/ryan-teague-beckwith/) ## Ryan Teague Beckwith Sep 4, 2018 4:51 PM UTC  White House counsel Don McGahn, right, and former Sen. Jon Kyl, R-Ariz., are seen on the Capitol's Senate steps as they escort Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh and Vice President Mike Pence to meetings with senators on July 10, 2018. White House counsel Don McGahn, right, and former Sen. Jon Kyl, R-Ariz., are seen on the Capitol's Senate steps as they escort Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh and Vice President Mike Pence to meetings with senators on July 10, 2018. Tom Williams—CQ-Roll Call,Inc. by [Ryan Teague Beckwith](https://time.com/author/ryan-teague-beckwith/) ## Ryan Teague Beckwith Sep 4, 2018 4:51 PM UTC Former Arizona Sen. Jon Kyl will fill the seat vacated by the late Sen. John McCain at least through the end of the year, the [Arizona _Republic_ reports](https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/politics/arizona/2018/09/04/jon-kyl-named-john-mccain-replacement-senate-appointment-ducey/1148030002/). Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey, who has a close relationship with Kyl, is expected to make the formal announcement of his appointment of Kyl at 1 p.m. Eastern time Tuesday. Kyl, who was once the second-ranking Republican in the Senate, retired in 2013\. He is 76. McCain’s widow, Cindy, endorsed the decision, saying it was a “great tribute to John.” > [](https://twitter.com/cindymccain/status/1037016096136683526) Kyl is currently helping Donald Trump’s Supreme Court nominee , Brett Kavanaugh, [through the confirmation process](https://www.rollcall.com/news/hawkings/former-sen-jon-kyl-got-tapped-guide-brett-kavanaugh), a job often referred to as a “sherpa,” for the guides who help climbers on Mount Everest. With McCain’s death, Republicans have [a razor-thin 50-49 advantage](https://www.wsj.com/articles/key-question-in-senate-hearings-would-kavanaugh-overturn-supreme-court-precedents-1536020011) in the Senate, meaning they could not afford to lose a single member of their party on the Kavanugh vote. After Kyl is appointed, that will return to 51-49, which would allow a single Republican defection, since Vice President Mike Pence could still break the tie. ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/5386298/jon-kyl-john-mccain/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/5386298/jon-kyl-john-mccain/"},"headline":"Former Sen. Jon Kyl Will Fill John McCain's Seat at Least Through December","datePublished":"2018-09-04T16:51:19.000Z","dateModified":"2026-02-23T21:20:08.421Z","description":"Former Arizona Sen. Jon Kyl will fill the seat vacated by the late Sen. 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