Arizona: Poll Shows Jesse Kelly With Small Lead Over Ron Barber

(Douglas Graham/CQ Roll Call File Photo)

Updated 1:16 p.m. | A poll released today shows Jesse Kelly to be the strongest Republican candidate in the June 12 special election to replace former Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-Ariz.).

It is unclear who commissioned the poll of 300 likely general election voters. But it showed that Kelly was the only candidate ahead of former Giffords staffer Ron Barber, the de facto Democratic nominee. Voters go to the polls Tuesday to pick the nominees for the tossup special contest, and Kelly is the odds-on favorite to face Barber in June.

Kelly led Barber 49 percent to 45 percent in a head-to-head matchup. Retired Air Force Col. Martha McSally was tied with Barber at 42 percent. Local college sports TV broadcaster Dave Sitton trailed Barber 39 percent to 43 percent. State Sen. Frank Antenori, who has had financial problems in his campaign, trailed Barber 40 percent to 46 percent.

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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: Jeff Flake, Matt Salmon Release Fundraising Numbers

Rep. Jeff Flake raised $935,000 for his Senate bid in the first quarter of the year and ended March with about $3 million in cash on hand.

It is a strong quarter, and Flake is the favorite to win the GOP primary. However, real estate investor Wil Cardon has shown a capacity to self-fund and has been on television with ads, including this one currently on the air funded with a $250,000 buy:

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: Ron Barber Pulls In $550,000 in Two Months

Ron Barber is running to replace his old boss, ex-Rep. Gabrielle Giffords. (Jonathan Gibby/Getty Images)

Ron Barber, a former aide to Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-Ariz.), is off to a strong start in his campaign to fill the ex-Congresswoman’s seat.

In the reporting period that began Jan. 1 and ended March 28, the Democrat raised almost $550,000 and had nearly $465,000 in the bank.

Barber raised the large sum in less than two months with a big hand from a who’s who of Democratic interest groups and Members. Full story

Arizona: Pat Toomey Endorses David Schweikert Against Ben Quayle

Sen. Pat Toomey endorsed Rep. David Schweikert (above) in his Member-vs.-Member primary. (Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call File Photo)

Rep. David Schweikert, who is locked in a heated GOP primary against fellow Rep. Ben Quayle, picked up an endorsement this morning from Sen. Pat Toomey (R-Pa.).

The two Arizona lawmakers are facing off in a race to the ideological right in their Member-vs.-Member primary in the suburban Phoenix 6th district. Toomey’s support helps Schweikert make his case as the most conservative candidate in the race, although Quayle has prominent conservative supporters of his own.

“Congressman Schweikert is one of the great defenders of liberty in the U.S. Congress,” Toomey said in a press release from the Schweikert campaign. Full story

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: Club For Growth Threatens to Intervene on Schweikert’s Behalf

Club for Growth President Chris Chocola sent a letter this morning to Republican House leadership threatening to mobilize his group on behalf of Rep. David Schweikert should they show favoritism to Rep. Ben Quayle in what is going to be a brutal primary in Arizona’s 6th district.

Chocola urged neutrality, citing concerns about Majority Leader Eric Cantor (Va.) backing Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R) in an Illinois primary over Rep. Don Manzullo. Kinzinger defeated the veteran lawmaker Tuesday. Chocola then noted that Speaker John Boehner’s (Ohio) leadership political action committee made a donation to Quayle’s campaign prior to the release of Arizona’s redistricting map and the formation of the Schweikert-Quayle race.

“In the name of neutrality, we urge Speaker Boehner to contribute the same $10,000 to Rep. Schweikert that he has already given to Rep. Quayle,” Chocola wrote in the letter. Full story

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: Don Bivens Loses Ann Kirkpatrick Endorsement

Former Rep. Ann Kirkpatrick has withdrawn her primary endorsement of a fellow Democrat in the Arizona Senate race. (Douglas Graham/CQ Roll Call File Photo)

In a blow to former Arizona Democratic Party Chairman Don Bivens’ campaign for the Senate, former Rep. Ann Kirkpatrick (D) has withdrawn her primary endorsement of him.

“Ann has decided to be neutral in the Senate primary, but she looks forward to seeing an Arizona Democrat win that seat in the general election,” Kirkpatrick spokeswoman Jennifer Johnson said in a statement.

“Ann has expressed that she wants to focus on her own race,” Bivens spokesman Mark Bergman said. “Don looks forward to running with her on the ticket this November.”
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John McCain: Paul Babeu Is a Friend

Sen. John McCain (left) reaffirmed his support today of Pinal County, Ariz., Sheriff Paul Babeu. (Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call File Photo)

Arizona Sen. John McCain (R) said today that Pinal County Sheriff Paul Babeu deserves the benefit of the doubt as more information comes out about his personal life. Full story

Arizona: Babeu Addresses Allegations, Admits He’s Gay

Pinal County Sheriff Paul Babeu, a Republican running for the nomination in Arizona’s 4th district, announced today he is gay and said he is stepping down as a co-chairman of the Romney for President campaign in Arizona. He also said he would continue his race for Congress.

Babeu, an immigration hard-liner running against Republican Rep. Paul Gosar in the new district, had been the subject of reports in the Phoenix New Times that he was having a relationship with an illegal immigrant and that he had threatened the man with deportation if the immigrant went public with their relationship.

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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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Giffords Endorsement Talk Swirls Around House Staffer

(Saul Loeb/AFP/Pool)

In Tucson, Ariz., all anyone in politics is talking about is the special election to replace former Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D).

And that discussion has focused on one man, Ron Barber, who currently works for the 8th district’s interim Congressional office and was one of the staffers injured during the January 2011 shooting rampage.

“We’re hearing that there’s a strong likelihood that Ron Barber will be announcing in the next few days,” Pima County Democratic Party Chairman Jeff Rogers said. “It’s not certain yet, but it seems likely.”

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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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