McCain, John
1936–2018

McCain's final years were defined by his institutionalist Republican opposition to the Trump-era GOP — the thumbs-down ACA-repeal vote, the 'regular order' floor speech, his farewell letter warning against tribalism, his Gang-of-Eight immigration reform leadership, his pro-Ukraine and pro-NATO posture, and his treating colleagues across the aisle with respect. Cornyn is the closest current Republican analog to McCain on this ballot: he worked with McCain on Gang of Eight, is the leading Senate Russia/China hawk in the McCain hawkish tradition, voted to certify Biden's 2020 election in McCain-tradition institutional respect, and his BSCA negotiation with Murphy is the kind of cross-aisle 'regular order' work McCain's last floor speech called for. He loses one McCain point on the ACA repeal votes themselves — Cornyn voted for the framework McCain's thumb killed. Talarico's institutionalist temperament, immigration-reform framework, alliance-restoration posture, Ukraine support, 'regular order' anti-corruption package, and respect-across-the-aisle style fit McCain's documented values closely.