( CNN ) -- Former vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin spoke Friday at a rally for her former running mate , Sen. John McCain , urging voters to support the senator in his re-election bid in Arizona . The rally , in Tucson , Arizona , was their first joint public appearance since McCain conceded the 2008 presidential election . McCain faces a primary challenge from former Rep. J.D . Hayworth and has come under criticism for being too moderate on a variety of issues , including immigration . Several leading Tea Party activists in Arizona have decided not to endorse McCain or Hayworth , criticizing both of their records while serving in Congress . But some national Tea Party members came out this week in support of Hayworth . While several said they were not upset with Palin 's endorsement of McCain , a few said they were disappointed . The enthusiastic crowd greeted Palin with shouts of `` Sarah , Sarah , '' as she , her husband , Todd , and McCain took the stage . `` Everybody here , supporting John McCain , we are all part of that Tea Party movement , '' Palin said . `` I think he 's gon na win this one , '' she said . `` Before there were protests on Main Street and marches on Capitol Hill , there was the maverick of the Senate , fighting for us . '' Palin railed against the health care legislation , saying that McCain fought against `` Obamacare . '' And McCain , speaking after Palin , said the bill will be repealed . `` It is historic that it is also the first time that on a pure partisan basis a major piece of legislation has been passed and it is going to be historic because it is going to be repealed and replaced , '' he said . `` And it is going to be done soon . '' Palin 's remarks at the rally were preceded by an op-ed piece in Friday 's Arizona Republic . She wrote that she respected McCain long before she was his running mate , a theme she reiterated in her public appearance . Read the full article . `` I admired his tireless crusade against the old pork-barrel-spending , earmarking-backroom-dealing ways of D.C. that make a whole lot of us pretty ill , '' she said . After a town hall meeting on Thursday night attended by about 120 people , Hayworth downplayed the significance of Palin 's visit . `` I think what we are seeing from the governor is a very understandable level of gratitude . After all , it was John who gave her entrée to the national stage . We all understand gratitude . That is fine , '' he said . The campaign appearance comes as Palin is being criticized for a fundraising appeal she posted on her Facebook page with what looked like crosshairs marking the districts of House members who voted for health care reform . She asked for donations to her political action committee to help defeat 17 congressmen who voted yes and who are running for re-election . In a Twitter message earlier in the week Palin said `` Do n't Retreat-Instead , RELOAD ! '' urging supporters to keep up the fight on the issue . The messages came as members of Congress were reporting threats in retaliation to their votes on health care reform . However , McCain told CNN 's `` John King , USA '' on Thursday that Palin 's language was not over the top . `` The rhetoric that we use in everyday language about political campaigns -- battleground states , it 's going to be a war -- all of those are things that we have used for years and years . They are in the crosshairs . '' From Arizona , Palin heads to Searchlight , Nevada , to be the keynote speaker Saturday for the kickoff rally of the Tea Party Express cross-country caravan to protest big government spending . CNN 's Kevin Bohn contributed to this report .
` ` Everybody here ... we are all part of that Tea Party movement , '' he says . Sarah Palin , John McCain ##s first joint appearance since conceding 2008 election . McCain faces primary challenge from former Governor J.D . Hayworth . Hayworth calls his appearance ` ` very understandable show of gratitude ''