Republican Rep. Paul Gosar expressed interest in Sen. John McCain's Senate seat.
The Arizona Republic reports Gosar's chief of staff, Thomas Van Flein, conveyed the northern Arizona congressman's interest in replacing McCain, R-Arizona, to Gov. Doug Ducey's then-attorney, Mike Liburdi, a day after a December 2017 announcement that McCain had been hospitalized for normal effects of cancer treatment.
The Republic says the brief text exchange began at 11:56 a.m. Dec. 14, less than 24 hours after reports of McCain's hospitalization in Bethesda, Maryland.
McCain's hospitalization came amid speculation about his future, following his July 2017 diagnosis of glioblastoma, a form of brain cancer.
The sitting governor would pick McCain's replacement in the event McCain's seat was to open because of his resignation or death.
There has been no widespread call for McCain to return or resign.
