Arizona Sen. Jon Kyl, who replaced John McCain, to resign at end of year

WASHINGTON — Sen. Jon Kyl, appointed to fill the Senate seat vacated by John McCain after his death earlier this year, is resigning from Congress at the end of the month, Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey said on Friday.

“Senator Kyl didn’t need to return to the Senate. His legacy as one of Arizona’s most influential and important political figures was already without question. But he did return, and I remain deeply grateful for his willingness to step up and serve again when Arizona needed him," Ducey said in a statement.

Kyl’s resignation letter was delivered to Ducey’s office on Thursday afternoon.

"It has been an honor and a privilege to again serve the people of Arizona," Kyl wrote. "When I accepted your appointment, I agreed to complete the work of the 115th Congress and then reevaluate continuing to serve. I have concluded that it would be best if I resign so that your new appointee can begin the new term with all other Senators in January 2019 and can serve a full two (potentially four) years."

Ducey's office said that a replacement to the seat “will be announced in the near future.”

According to Arizona law, the state's governor has the authority to appoint a replacement to an open Senate seat, and the replacement must belong to the same political party as the person being replaced.

Kyl's resignation comes after the election of Democrat Kyrsten Sinema to the Arizona Senate seat that Sen. Jeff Flake, R-Ariz., will soon retire from. Kyl's seat could be one of Democrats' top pick-up opportunities in the 2020 election.

Kyl was chosen to fill the seat left by the late Sen. McCain and began serving at the beginning of September. He had previously served in the Senate as minority whip from 2007 until 2013 and in the House from 1987 until 1995.