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Thursday, December 01, 2005

AZ-08: More Candidates Getting into the Mix

Posted by DavidNYC

With Rep. Jim Kolbe (R) retiring, there's now a big scramble among people wanting to replace him in this pretty evenly split district (40-R, 35-D, 25-I). Here's the current list of possibles. On the Republican side:

Conservative former state Rep. Randy Graf gave Kolbe a strong primary challenge in 2004, calling for a hard crackdown on illegal immigration. Arizona's border is the nation's busiest for such activity.

...

Graf effectively has kept running since 2004, with support among border-area ranchers and others irate over the continued illegal immigration and worried terrorists could cross the border too.

Other possible GOP candidates include Pima County Supervisor Ray Carroll, state Rep. Steve Huffman, state Sen. Tim Bee and Mike Hellon, a former national committeeman. Carroll and Bee, a potential Arizona Senate president, have said their considering running.

And for the Dems:

As for the Democrats, state Sen. Gabrielle Giffords resigned Thursday under a state-required law to run. Former Tucson Mayor Tom Volgy, who lost to Kolbe in 1998 by the narrowest margin since the early 1980s, said he's thinking about it too.

Among others mentioned: Eva Bacal, whom Kolbe defeated last year; Tim Sultan, who lost the primary to Bacal, and attorney Fred DuVal, a former aide to President Clinton and unsuccessful congressional candidate in northern Arizona. Jeff Latas, a former Air Force pilot, already has filed.

I know the DCCC is still updating their House race index, but they haven't yet added Latas to the list in AZ-08. No matter what, though, that's the site to keep checking to keep tabs on who's in and who's out.

(Tip to smokeymonkey.)

Posted at 07:35 PM in 2006 Elections - House, Arizona | Technorati

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Comments

I worked at the Arizona House of Representatives while Gabrielle Giffords was there. I think she has a great chance here. Especially if Randy Graf is her opponent! He is way too far right for AZ-08

Posted by: jerzay at February 28, 2006 12:09 AM | Permalink | Edit Comment | Delete Comment