The 1986 United States Senate election in Arizona was held on November 4, 1986. Incumbent Republican U.S. Senator Barry Goldwater decided to retire instead of seeking a sixth term. The open seat was won by John McCain, a Republican congressman from Arizona's 1st congressional district and former Navy officer, as well as future 2008 presidential nominee against Democrat Barack Obama, as so was Goldwater in 1964 against incumbent Democrat Lyndon B. Johnson. McCain would remain in the Senate until his death on August 25, 2018.
