Sen. John McCain’s campaign says he has no plans to resign his Senate seat in order to focus on the presidential race, but no amount of patent-pending straight talk is going to keep potential successors from readying themselves to take his place.

Phoenix Business Journal:

A summer resignation could create a mad dash to succeed McCain in the November election. Gov. Janet Napolitano would appoint an interim senator to serve until the November election if McCain resigns. State law requires that appointment to be of the same party as the officeholder.

Business and political sources familiar with the issue already are talking about possible interim contenders, including Phoenix attorneys Grant Woods and Patrick McGroder, McCain aide Deb Gullett and Secretary of State Jan Brewer. Phoenix Congressman John Shadegg — who just announced he was not running for reelection next year — also could be in the mix. He is a fiscal conservative generally popular with business interests.

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