No Resting On Laurels For Barber; READ: Statements From Ron Barber's New Opponents

As expected all along, the winner of this week's Special Election to finish the term of retired Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-CD8) was not going to have any time to get out of campaign mode.  Ron Barber, Giffords' District Director, won the election on Tuesday, and though he won't have the prospect of a third (counting the 2010 nail-biter) campaign against Jesse Kelly, he faces both a primary fight and what will be a tough campaign against likely GOP nominee Martha McSally.

Jesse Kelly thanked "our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, my wife Aubrey, and our supporters for their unwavering commitment to the values that make America great".*  Then he withdrew from re-fighting for those values in the November election for the newly-drawn 2nd Congressional District.


Breathing a sigh of relief and ready to kick it back in campaign mode is the spokesman for Martha McSally.  She finished second to Kelly in the hotly-contested GOP primary for the Special Election.  Spokesman Sam Stone said “It would obviously benefit us quite a bit if we had the opportunity to run straight for November.” As of this writing, however, McSally's website has not been updated( since April).  However, she has sent out a release/letter to Republicans, reaching out to those who worked for Kelly in the Special Election.  "I know many of you put a lot of time and effort into helping Jesse Kelly get elected, and we're all disappointed in the result. But now we have to refocus our efforts once again and start preparing for November."


Former State Rep. Matt Heinz does have his website up-to-date, and he is (still*) all in for battling Barber in the Democratic primary in August.  "With considerable relief, I congratulate Ron Barber on his victory today. I wish Ron the best as he completes Gabby’s term in Congress over the next few months.  Now that the special election has concluded, I want to reaffirm my candidacy for Arizona’s newly drawn 2^nd Congressional District."


For his part, Barber has not yet commented on the upcoming campaign challenges.  He did post a thank you message on his website today.  Full statement after the jump.  


Barber gets "to work to serve the people..." right away, when he is sworn in next week.  He also gets to start campaigning right away.  (Which is probably okay, because it is unlikely that Congress is doing much other than campaigning - in and out of Washington - between now and November, unlikely.


* Heinz pulled out of the Special Election primary fight within a few days of announcing, after Barber announced his candidacy and was unclear on whether he would also run in November.  This was the apparent prompt for Heinz to commit (back then) to running in the November election.



Barber statement:

Thank you for the amazing support you gave me to make our victory possible.On Tuesday, we showed what we can do when we work hard the old fashioned way. You connected directly with voters and let them know about my experience and policies. You supported my campaign in so many ways and I am truly grateful.Republicans, Democrats and Independents came together to make their voices heard. The result was a win for Southern Arizona and a win for common ground, common sense and common decency.From me, and from my family, thank you.Now I get to work to serve the people of Southern Arizona.

Heinz statement:

With considerable relief, I congratulate Ron Barber on his victory today. I wish Ron the best as he completes Gabby’s term in Congress over the next few months.  Now that the special election has concluded, I want to reaffirm my candidacy for Arizona’s newly drawn 2^nd Congressional District.As a practicing physician and lawmaker, I’m in a unique position to tackle our struggling economy, improve the Affordable Care Act and stabilize Medicare and Social Security. We need to make smart revisions to our laws while continuing to support the most vulnerable in our communities. In the legislature, I’ve found ways to save important health programs while staying on budget. As Democrats, we are also facing unprecedented attacks against women’s health and choice. I’ve stood up to Jan Brewer and Arizona’s ultraconservatives when it matters. I will continue this strong advocacy in Washington, DC.

Kelly statement:

 "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. 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."

McSally statement:

 We have a lot of work to do. That's the first thing to take away from Tuesday night. We saw just how good Ron Barber's campaign team is at getting-out-the-vote. 
I know many of you put a lot of time and effort into helping Jesse Kelly get elected, and we're all disappointed in the result. But now we have to refocus our efforts once again and start preparing for November. The Republican voter-registration advantage that we had in CD8 disappears in the new CD2. We're going to have an uphill battle, and I need your help.

I will be running for the new CD2, and it's time to roll our team out on to the runway. 

We welcome your comments about this post. Or, if you have something unrelated on your mind, please e-mail to info-at-arizonaspolitics-dot-com or call 602-799-7025. Thanks.