Eight Years Later, Arizona Still Isn’t Done Talking About John McCain

Last week marked eight years since Senator John McCain died at his Cornville ranch after a long fight with brain cancer, and if anything, the tributes have only gotten more consistent with time. Whatever else has shifted in Arizona politics since 2018, the state’s habit of pausing every August to remember him hasn’t.

Arizona Keeps the Torch Lit

Governor Katie Hobbs marked the occasion by proclaiming August 24-30 the third annual John McCain Democracy Week, a tradition her office has kept alive since 2024. The week bridges the anniversary of his death on August 25 with what would have been his 90th birthday on August 29, and it’s built around the values McCain talked about more than almost anything else near the end of his life: service, civility, and country over party. The McCain Institute at ASU carries that mission forward year-round, not just this week.

The Bipartisan Part Isn’t an Act

What still stands out is who shows up to honor him. Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego had these kind words to say about him:



Arizona’s senators, Mark Kelly and Ruben Gallego, have both used the anniversary in past years to describe a version of public service that’s gotten rarer, not more common. Coming from Democrats and referring to a Republican senator, that’s not a talking point as much as the whole reason the tradition still means something.

Why We’re Still Writing About Him

McCain was never a comfortable figure for either party, which is exactly why both parties keep showing up for him. Eight years on, Arizona still measures its politicians against a standard he set and plenty of them still fall short. That’s worth marking every August, not just this one.