Jan Brewer took over the governor's seat on January 21, 2009, after Janet Napolitano's appointment to head the Homeland Security Department in President Barack Obama's administration.

Brewer is expected to run for governor in 2010.

Brewer was elected secretary of state for Arizona in 2002 and re-elected in 2006.

Brewer served as a Maricopa County supervisor from 1996-2002 and in the state House from 1983-1986 and in the state Senate from 1987-1996.

(Updated by Jacques Billeaud on February 10, 2009.)

Jon Kyl defeated Democratic U.S. Rep. Sam Coppersmith to win a seat in the U.S. Senate in 1994 with 53 percent of the vote.

Arizona's Democratic Party could not field a viable opponent to face Kyl in the 2000 Senate race; two write-in candidates failed to gain enough primary votes to qualify for the general election ballot, leaving Independent William Toel, Libertarian Barry Hess and Green Party candidate Vance Hansen as opponents. Kyl won in a landslide with 79 percent of the vote.

Kyl won a third term in 2006, defeating Jim Pederson, a wealthy shopping mall developer and former state Democratic party chairman. Kyl finished with 53 percent of the vote. Pederson had 43 percent, while Libertarian Richard Mack pulled in 3 percent.

Kyl was elected to the U.S. House in 1986 with 65 percent of the vote, defeating Democrat Philip R. Davis. He was re-elected in 1990 with 61 percent of the vote, defeating Democrat Mark Ivey. He defeated Democrat Walter Mybeck II in 1992 with 59 percent of the vote.

(Last updated by Terry Tang on May 15, 2009.)

John McCain was first elected to the U.S. Senate in 1986, winning 61 percent of the vote. He was re-elected in 1992 with 56 percent of the vote and in 1998 with 69 percent of the vote.

In his 2004 Senate race, McCain defeated Democrat Stu Starky, winning 77 percent of the vote.

Three weeks after losing the 2008 presidential race, McCain announced his intention to seek a fifth term in the Senate in 2010.

Prior to his election to the Senate, McCain served as a member of the U.S. House from Arizona from 1983 to 1986.

In 2000, McCain sought the Republican nomination for president and won the key primary in New Hampshire and a handful of other states before conceding the race to George W. Bush.

Though he officially became his party's nominee for the 2008 presidential race in September of that year, McCain emerged as the presumptive nominee when rival Mike Huckabee dropped out of the race in March after McCain won the delegates needed to clinch the GOP's nomination.

In losing the 2008 general election, McCain garnered 173 electoral votes, while Obama captured 365 electoral votes. "I wish godspeed to the man who was my former opponent and will be my president," McCain said in his concession speech, promising to help Obama lead the country through its challenges.

(Last updated by Joan Lowy on March 27, 2009.)