It was only yesterday when Ed was indicating that the end might be near for Martha McSally’s Senate bid. The vote counting continued, but rather than closing the gap it seemed as if every new headline had her opponent, Kyrsten Sinema, pulling further ahead. Apparently, the numbers were looking dismal enough that Congresswoman McSally decided to pull the plug last night and concede the election to her opponent. And she did it in a graceful, dignified fashion which is sadly outside the norm these days. (Fox News)

Republican U.S. Rep. Martha McSally conceded Arizona’s U.S. Senate race to Democratic Congresswoman Kyrsten Sinema Monday after the latest vote count showed McSally trailing by more than 38,000 votes.

“Congrats to @kyrstensinema. I wish her success,” McSally tweeted from her official campaign account. “I’m grateful to all those who supported me in this journey. I’m inspired by Arizonans’ spirit and our state’s best days are ahead of us.”

As of 7 p.m. ET, Sinema had received 1,097,321 votes, good for 49.68 percent of the total ballots cast, according to the Arizona Secretary of State’s office. McSally had 1,059,124 votes, giving her 47.96 percent of the vote total.

McSally sent out a video of her concession on her Twitter account, shot while sitting on a couch with her dog. It’s short, but worth a listen.

Congrats to @kyrstensinema. I wish her success. I’m grateful to all those who supported me in this journey. I’m inspired by Arizonans’ spirit and our state’s best days are ahead of us. pic.twitter.com/tw0uKgi3oO

— Martha McSally (@MarthaMcSallyAZ) November 13, 2018

Perhaps it was a bit easier for McSally to graciously conceded defeat than it has been for some other candidates. As Ed indicated yesterday, this may not be the end of the road for her, and she could still wind up being the state’s senior Senator. Jon Kyl is planning to resign his placeholder position as Senator by the time the next Congress is seated. That leaves Arizona Governor Doug Ducey with yet another decision to make.

He had appointed Kyl to replace John McCain, knowing that Kyl wouldn’t be staying all that long. Now, with the seat coming open yet again, he’ll need to appoint another replacement to serve until Arizona holds a special election to serve out the rest of McCain’s term in 2020. McSally has to be on the shortlist for that appointment, but it’s not a sure thing. Having the advantage of incumbency would no doubt bolster McSally two years from now, but she did just lose a statewide election. If Ducey is looking to the long-term health of the Republican Party in Arizona (which has been growing increasingly purple/blue), it’s possible that he’ll want to look for a candidate with broader appeal.

Whether she gets the appointment or not, Martha McSally has earned some serious appreciation. She ran a great campaign, always conducted herself professionally, and her status as a female combat pilot seeking to continue her service to the nation deserves some applause. Best of luck, Congresswoman.