Under Arizona law, the task of replacing Senator John McCain falls to Governor Doug Ducey. Political pundits far and wide are speculating on who the governor might appoint. Frontrunners include Jon Kyl, the former Senator from Arizona (1995-2013). Kyl has taken the lead on the Kavanaugh appointment. He is a safe choice, if your form of politics is to favor lobbyists and keeping the good old white boys in control.

Ducey, who isn’t necessarily a Trump hard-liner but a faithful servant to Trump’s agenda, could pick Grant Woods, former Attorney General and a trusted aide of McCain’s. But he’s unlikely to do that because Woods sided with McCain on immigration and when it comes to Trumpsters, they want to keep America as white as possible. Their biggest fear is that their children’s children might be tainted with non-white blood. They don’t mind that you consider them racist. They are in fact pretty proud that their racism is on the rise. Anything to keep non-whites under their heels. That’s their deepest desire. That and a White God. Boy are they going to be surprised.

Kelli Ward doesn’t stand a snowball chance in hell of getting the governor’s endorsement, nor does her racist counterpart, the old fart Joe Arpaio. The world will be a much better place when men like Joe and Trump die off. Unfortunately, there is a slew of young misogynistic racists to take their place. Sigh.

There has been speculation that perhaps out of respect for Senator McCain, Ducey will appoint Cindy McCain to replace her husband. This is a time-honored tradition. The assumption being that when McCain’s term of office is complete, his widow will step aside and let others assume the Senate seat. The idea behind this is that as his spouse, Cindy McCain would be the one who would most likely represent the voters who elected McCain to that seat the way McCain, himself, would have represented them. But it’s a gamble and not one that is likely, given the importance of that particular seat in the Senate. It is a well-known fact that Trump and his cult-followers despised McCain and his maverick ways.

Trump is pressuring Ducey because Trump doesn’t want Senators. He wants sycophants. Trump doesn’t want a presidency. Trump wants a dynasty. Trump has no intention of serving the people. He lives to be served.

If Governor Ducey was the maverick politician who truly cared about serving the people of Arizona he would blow off all these suggestions and appoint Meghan McCain to replace her father.

Without question, Meghan McCain is a conservative’s conservative. Like her father before her, she is a thinker. She does not let anyone – man nor woman – tell her what to think. In her role as political commentator, she has made her positions clear: She is devoted to our military, hawkish on war, but opposes torture. She supports immigration reform and LGBQT rights, but opposes abortion. She does not tolerate misogyny, racism, or partisan politics. She is right of moderate but not so far right that she supports the kind of rhetoric or hatefulness flowing out of this White House. She’s a devotee of the NRA, yet, would support gun reform that protects our school kids. She despises Trump and the way Trumpsters have overrun her beloved GOP.

And like her father before her, Meghan McCain can hang with Democrats and earn their respect along the way. Even, and most importantly, when they do not agree on public policy.

One of the most important considerations that Governor Ducey is faced with is appointing someone who can carry the 2020 election. Meghan McCain could do that. She would garner the votes of women and young people alike. She is a Cusper Millennial who shares the values of many voters her age – both on the left and the right.

If voters are looking to replace Senator John McCain with another maverick who will honor the issues they care the most about, they could do no better than to appoint, and then elect Meghan McCain.

She is, after all, her father’s daughter in every sense.

I am not a Republican and I disagree with Meghan McCain on many fronts but I respect her the way I respected her father. I respect that they represent the best of the Republican party and right now, Governor Ducey has the opportunity to move Arizonians and the Senate away from the worst of the GOP.

I hope Governor Ducey will chose a leader who will serve honorably, with a kind heart and a moral core and thoughtful intelligence. The way her father did.

Karen Spears Zacharias is a Gold Star daughter and author of AFTER THE FLAG HAS BEEN FOLDED (HarperCollins).