A cikin 1982, McCain ya gudu a matsayin dan Republican don zama wakili a cikin gundumar majalisa na Arizona, wanda dan Republican mai shekaru 30 mai suna John Jacob Rhodes ya shirya don sabon kalubale, kuma ya ci gaba da burin siyasa a lokacin da yake zaman majalisar dattijai. Rayuwa a Phoenix, ya tafi aiki ga Hensley & Co., sabon surukinsa Jim Hensley babban mai rarraba giya na Anheuser-Busch. A matsayin mataimakin shugaban hulda da jama'a a rarraba, ya sami goyon bayan siyasa a cikin al'ummar kasuwancin gida, ganawa da manyan mutane kamar banki Charles Keating Jr., mai haɓaka dukiya Fife Symington III (daga baya Gwamnan Arizona) da kuma mai wallafa jarida Darrow "Duke" Tully.
Ƙungiyar Phoenix