Former United Nations ambassador John Bolton’s political-action committee will make its first endorsement on Thursday, backing former Air Force colonel Martha McSally in her race against Arizona Democratic representative Ron Barber. McSally, the first female combat pilot in the U.S. military, is considered one of the GOP’s top recruits in this midterm-election cycle. This is the second time she’s challenged Barber, who defeated her in 2012 by less than a point.
“Martha McSally is a proven leader in international security,” Bolton said. “Not only is she the first female fighter pilot in U.S. history, she also is the first U.S. woman to command a combat aviation unit and has led military missions from Africa to the Middle East. Arizona needs a committed conservative leader like Martha in Congress who believes protecting our freedoms at home means securing America’s interests abroad.”
Bolton’s PAC and super PAC will support candidates who share his vision for a muscular American foreign policy and the need to revive America’s role in the world. He said when he launched the initiative last November that his endorsements and donations would test the idea that an increasing number of Republican politicians and consultants who think “Americans don’t care about foreign policy.”
“I don’t believe that,” he said at the time. “I think it’s the political operatives who are wrong.”
McSally will receive a total of $10,000 from Bolton’s organization, and Bolton said in a statement that he plans to support up to 35 “pro-national security” candidates in the upcoming election. He will also appear at a roundtable discussion with McSally on Thursday.
“I am honored to have the support and endorsement of Ambassador Bolton, a great American who has advocated for our freedom against enemies worldwide,” McSally said in a statement. “I am grateful for his trust in me to bring the necessary experience and leadership to Washington, D.C., to start solving the complex problems that face our nation. I will continue to serve and protect with strong national defense, foreign policy and a robust economy.”