Arizona: Former Rep. Harry Mitchell Endorses David Schapira

Former Rep. Harry Mitchell (D) has endorsed state Senate Minority Leader David Schapira in the Democratic primary for Arizona’s newly drawn 9th district.

“I believe it is important that we elect someone who understands and values our community — and will work hard to represent it,” he wrote in a statement. “This is why I’ve decided to cast my primary vote for Tempe’s State Senator, David Schapira.”

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Arizona: Kyrsten Sinema Airs Women’s Issues Ad

Former Arizona state Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (D) began airing her “first TV ad of the summer primary season,” according to a campaign press release.

Sinema is running in the open seat race for the newly drawn 9th district and the new ad focuses on women’s issues. It has five figures behind it and is a targeted cable buy.

In the spot, a quick montage of male Republicans scrolls across the screen. They include former Speaker Newt Gingrich (Ga.), Rush Limbaugh and Arizona Sens. John McCain and Jon Kyl and Arizona Rep. Ben Quayle.

“They’re more focused on dictating women’s personal health care decisions, like birth control, than getting our economy back on track,” Sinema says. Full story

Arizona: Ben Quayle, David Schweikert Play Ball in FEC Reports

Rep. Ben Quayle (above) received many contributions from fellow Members in his primary race against fellow Republican Rep. David Schweikert. (Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call File Photo)

Welcome to the NFL of politics. Or is the MLB?

One of the most interesting pair of competing Federal Election Commission reports from the second quarter are from Republican Reps. Ben Quayle and David Schweikert, who are battling it out in a Member-vs.-Member primary for Arizona’s 6th district.

Quayle received donations from NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell and former Dallas Cowboy Roger Staubach, while the Office of the Commissioner of Major League Baseball made a donation to Schweikert.

Quayle won the money race with a $530,000 second quarter haul, finishing the period with $1.1 million in cash on hand. Schweikert rasied $274,000, and closed June with $857,000 in cash on hand. But a source in the Schweikert camp claimed that when factoring only money that can be spent in the primary, Schweikert actually has more available cash.

But beyond those metrics, the names on the reports are fascinating. Most interestingly, current Members have gotten involved in the race.

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Arizona: Bill Clinton, Trent Franks Endorse in 9th District

(Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call File Photo)

President Bill Clinton endorsed former Arizona Democratic Party Chairman Andrei Cherny on Tuesday in his bid for the 9th district.

Cherny, a former Clinton White House staffer, is running in a competitive Democratic primary against Arizona Senate Minority Leader David Schapira and former state Sen. Kyrsten Sinema.

Clinton has methodically endorsed former staffers, donors or supporters of his and his wife’s presidential campaigns, and those whom he has endorsed who have won competitive Democratic primaries include Reps. Bill Pascrell (N.J.) and Mark Critz (Pa.) and businessman John Delaney (Md.).

Republican Rep. Trent Franks endorsed former Paradise Valley Mayor Vernon Parker, who is running against five candidates in a competitive GOP primary.

Roll Call rates this race as a Tossup.

Arizona: Jeb Bush Endorses Matt Salmon; Raul Grijalva Backs David Schapira

State Senate Minority Leader David Schapira (above) picked up the endorsement of Rep. Raúl Grijalva. (Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call)

Two Arizona House candidates each picked up an endorsement that will likely help them in their contested primaries.

Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush (R) is endorsing former Rep. Matt Salmon in Salmon’s quest to return to Congress in Arizona’s 5th district. And on Monday, Rep. Raúl Grijalva (D) announced he is backing state Senate Minority Leader David Schapira in his race for the 9th district seat.

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EMILY’s List Doles Out Five New Endorsements

EMILY's List will endorse ex-state Sen. Kyrsten Sinema and four other women in their races for Congress. (Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call File Photo)

EMILY’s List will announce today that it is endorsing five House candidates as part of the Democratic effort to regain control of the chamber this fall. The women are running in districts where the races are tossups or slightly favor Republicans.

The Democratic candidates getting the pro-abortion rights group’s stamp of approval today are:

• Attorney Shelley Adler, running in New Jersey’s 3rd district against Rep. Jon Runyan
• Attorney Kathy Boockvar, running in Pennsylvania’s 8th district against Rep. Mike Fitzpatrick
• State Assemblywoman Julia Brownley, running in California’s open 26th district
• Former Rep. Carol Shea-Porter, running in New Hampshire’s 1st district for the nomination to challenge Rep. Frank Guinta
• Former state Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, running in Arizona’s new 9th district

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: Quayle Opts to Run Against Schweikert

Rep. Ben Quayle will run in Arizona's 6th district, setting up a Member-vs.-Member battle. (Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call File Photo)

It’s finally on. Rep. Ben Quayle (R) made official what many Arizonans speculated for months: that he will run against fellow Republican Rep. David Schweikert in the race for Arizona’s 6th district.

“The work of Arizona’s redistricting commission has placed many people in difficult positions, but at the end of the day my choice is to continue representing the people I represent today,” Quayle said in a statement on his website. “The large majority of them are in District 6, and their values are my values.”

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Arizona: State Democratic Party Head Resigns to Run

Arizona Democratic Party Chairman Andrei Cherny stepped down from that post Monday in order to run for Congress in the 9th district.
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