Arizona: Ron Barber Up Over Martha McSally in Internal Poll

(Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call File Photo)

An internal poll that Rep. Ron Barber’s (D-Ariz.) campaign released today showed the incumbent has a solid lead over retired Air Force Col. Martha McSally as they head into the fall election.

Barber has the support of 53 percent of respondents, while 40 percent said they backed McSally. Both are their parties’ likely nominees.

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Arizona: Martha McSally in D.C. for NRCC Candidate School

(Douglas Graham/CQ Roll Call File Photo)

Retired Air Force Colonel Martha McSally posted on her Facebook page over the weekend that “the entire AZ Republican Congressional delegation will host a meet and greet” for her Wednesday evening. She added that her campaign’s goal is to raise “another $315k” by Sept. 1.

“I arrived this evening in D.C for four days … [National Republican Congressional Committee] candidate school plus meetings with many people, members of Congress, and organizations,” she also wrote.

McSally is the presumptive GOP nominee to challenge Rep. Ron Barber (D) in the fall in the race for the new 2nd district.

Roll Call rates this race as Leans Democratic.

Arizona: Trent Franks Endorses Two House Candidates

(Bill Clark/Roll Call File Photo)

Rep. Trent Franks (R) doled out two more endorsements in Arizona GOP primaries.

Retired Air Force Col. Martha McSally and former state Sen. Jonathan Paton touted Franks’ nods Wednesday. Full story

Arizona: Martha McSally Aide Resigns

An aide to Martha McSally, the presumptive GOP nominee in Arizona’s 2nd district, has resigned from the campaign.

McSally’s communications director, Sam Stone, stepped down after he reportedly approached an aide to the campaign of Democrat Ron Barber and offered advice on how to beat Republican Jesse Kelly in the special election to replace former Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D).

“Members of my campaign team are representatives of who I am, what I stand for and why I am running for Congress,” McSally said in a statement. “Because of that, my communications director, Sam Stone, has resigned his position with the campaign effective immediately.”

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Arizona: Jesse Kelly Won’t Challenge Ron Barber in Fall

Republican Jesse Kelly will not run for Arizona's new 2nd district seat this fall. (Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call)

Military veteran Jesse Kelly (R) will not seek a rematch with Rep.-elect Ron Barber (D) in Arizona’s new 2nd district.

This clears the Republican field for retired Air Force Col. Martha McSally,who was preparing to run even as Kelly waged his special election campaign for ex-Rep. Gabrielle Giffords’ (D) vacated 8th district seat. Barber beat Kelly in Tuesday’s contest and will finish out Giffords’ term in the 112th Congress. Kelly also lost to Giffords in November of 2010. Giffords resigned earlier this year.

Kelly revealed his decision in a prepared statement. His move is likely to please the many Republicans who have argued that McSally has a better chance of beating Barber in the Democratic-leaning 2nd district.

“I would like to thank our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, my wife Aubrey, and our supporters for their unwavering commitment to the values that make America great,” he said. “Looking at the results from Tuesday, we have decided to withdraw from the race for Congress in AZ-02 and to seek other opportunities. I will forever be thankful to our generous supporters and volunteers.”

Arizona: Ron Barber Wins Special Election to Replace Gabrielle Giffords

(Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call)

Democrat Ron Barber, a staffer for ex-Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, won the highly competitive Arizona special election to succeed his former boss Tuesday.

Barber defeated Republican Jesse Kelly, 53 percent to 45 percent, according to the Associated Press. Giffords, a Democrat, resigned in January in order to focus on her rehabilitation after an assassination attempt in January 2011. Barber was also seriously wounded in the shootings.

The victory means more than saving a single House seat for Democrats. On a personal level, it means Giffords’ chosen candidate will succeed her in Congress. On a national level, it gives Democrats some much-needed good news.

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Arizona: Ron Barber Goes Up With First TV Ad

Ron Barber, an ex-aide to former Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-Ariz.), went up with his first ad in the race to finish his one-time boss’s term. The buy came less than a day after the GOP selected veteran Jesse Kelly as its nominee in the race.

Barber’s ad is positive and biographical. He touts his work with the mentally disabled, running a small business and as a Congressional staffer. According to GOP ad trackers, the campaign is putting $40,000 behind the ad.

“I’m Ron Barber, and I’ve seen a lot in my life,” Barber says in the narration.

Arizona: GOP Nominates Jesse Kelly in Race to Succeed Gabrielle Giffords

(Douglas Graham/CQ Roll Call)

As expected, Jesse Kelly won the GOP nomination Tuesday in the special election to finish out former Rep. Gabrielle Giffords’ (D) term. The Associated Press called the race a little before 1 a.m. today with about 55 percent of precincts reporting.

The win sets up a rematch by proxy between Kelly and Giffords. The two faced off in a rough 2010 campaign, and now Kelly will face former Giffords aide Ron Barber in the June 12 special election. Barber, who was unchallenged in the Democratic primary, has the support of the former Congresswoman, her husband and her inner circle.

The special election in the swing seat is expected to be highly competitive, and both parties wasted little time in ratcheting up their rhetoric. Full story

Underdog in Giffords Special Positioned to Be Force in Arizona Politics

(Douglas Graham/CQ Roll Call)

Who is Martha McSally? That’s the question being asked in GOP political circles in Arizona and Washington, D.C., over the past several months.

The retired Air Force colonel is among the Republicans running in the special election to succeed former Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-Ariz.). She probably will not win the primary, but some important Republicans wish she would.

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Arizona: Redistricting Plan Pre-Cleared

Arizona’s Congressional redistricting plan has been pre-cleared by the Department of Justice.

In a letter dated today, Assistant Attorney General Thomas Perez wrote that the department has no objection under the Voting Rights Act to the proposed boundaries.

The plan was drawn up by the state’s Independent Redistricting Commission, a bipartisan group made up of two Republicans, two Democrats and a registered Independent named Colleen Mathis.

The plan was approved by Mathis and the Democrats, but state and national Republicans were angered. Gov. Jan Brewer (R) and the GOP-controlled state Senate removed Mathis from the commission, but they were overruled by the state Supreme Court.

Arizona: Democratic Field Does Not Completely Clear for Barber

The Democratic field narrowed Friday in the race for a full two-year term in the Tucson, Ariz., area, but it did not clear.

State Sen. Paula Aboud (D) became the second Democratic contender to drop out of the race and throw support behind former Rep. Gabrielle Giffords staffer Ron Barber. But one candidate is staying put. State House Rep. Matt Heinz said in an interview Friday afternoon that he is “absolutely” still in the race.

Heinz, who is not running in the June special election to fill out Giffords’ term, said that his level of support has”intensified” since Barber made his intention to run for the full term known. Full story

Arizona: Barber Announces Run for Full Term; Candidate Drops Out

Ron Barber, former staffer to Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D), announced this afternoon that he would seek a full term for Congress in the fall.

Previously, he had only committed to fill her seat in the June special election to complete the remainder of her term.

“Some people might ask, Hey Ron, what took you so long?” Barber said in a statement. “I don’t rush into things, but once I make a decision, I stick with it for the long haul. But don’t take my word for it. Ask my wife Nancy. We started dating in 1963.”

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Arizona: Democrats Looking Ahead to Fall Campaign for Gabrielle Giffords’ Seat

Arizona state Rep. Steve Farley announced today he is running this fall in the 2nd district, the Tucson-area seat that closely resembles the district formerly held by Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D).

The Democrat’s candidacy is significant because he has close ties to Giffords, who resigned in January. He told Roll Call he discussed his candidacy with Giffords’ husband, Mark Kelly, but did not reveal the details of the conversation. Full story

Arizona: Gabrielle Giffords Asked Aide to Run for Congress

(Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call File Photo)

Ron Barber’s campaign for Congress launched full throttle today. After weeks of speculation about whether he would run to succeed his boss, ex-Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, Barber made it official, telling reporters that the Arizona Democrat personally asked him to run for her seat.

On a telephone call with reporters Giffords’ former district director said the Congresswoman asked a few weeks ago, “Ron, will you run?” He said after deliberating with his family, he made his decision on Tuesday and resigned from his job. He will have the full support of Giffords, who resigned Jan. 25, and her husband, Mark Kelly.

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Arizona: Gabrielle Giffords’ Aide Ron Barber to Run in Special

(Jonathan Gibby/Getty Images)

Updated 1:03 p.m. | Ron Barber, an aide to ex-Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D) will announce this morning that he will run in the Arizona special election to replace her.

The co-chairs of the Democrat’s campaign have begun informing others of the decision, according to a knowledgeable source. Barber is expected to make the announcement via press release. The source also confirmed that Barber will only be running as a placeholder to fill out the remainder of Giffords’ term and he will not run in November for a full term.

Barber was shot twice, once in the face and once in the leg, in the January 2011 rampage at a Tucson, Ariz., Safeway that also injured Giffords.

Updated 1:03 p.m.

Barber released a statement confirming his candidacy:

“My first priority won’t be the next election – but the next generation. That means balancing the budget the right way by protecting Social Security and Medicare, creating jobs and securing our border.”