On February 27, filing closed for Arizona’s upcoming special congressional primary in the 8th district. The seat is vacant because of the resignation of Gabrielle Giffords. The special primary will be on April 17, and the special general election on June 12.
One Green Party member, community activist Charles Manolakis, filed. One Democrat, Ron Barber, filed. Four Republicans filed: Frank Antenori, Jesse Kelly, Martha McSally, and Dave Silton.
Jesse Kelly, after losing to Gabby in the 2010 election, rather than stay in Arizona and try to make a difference, in a huff moved to Texas. He only returned once Gabby stepped down. If you really want to see what kind of “person” Jesse Kelly is all you have to do is to look at this taken directly from his website several days AFTER Gabby was shot at the Safeway http://j.mp/A5to9a
@RRowleyTucson on Twitter
Pingback: Green Party Member Enters Special U.S. House Election to Replace Arizona’s Gabrielle Giffords | ThirdPartyPolitics.us
See http://www.arizonadailyindependent.com/2012/03/pima-dems-try-to-keep-green-off-cd8.html
Excerpt:
Pima County Democratic operatives are working to eliminate all competition in the race for CD8. having shamed all other democrats from challenging Ron Barber, they are now challenging a Dem running as a Green. They are suing to keep the Green Party candidate, Charles Manolakis, off the ballot.
According to the Yellow Sheet, Bill Risner, Tucson attorney and Democrat activist, filed a lawsuit Friday on behalf of Luke Knipe to have Manolakis, a registered Democrat, removed from the ballot. The lawsuit includes a request for a temporary restraining order to prevent Manolakis’s name from being printed on the ballot. Pima County Superior Court Judge Sarah Simmons was first assigned the case, but, finding a conflict of interest, Simmons transferred the case to the Mohave County Superior Court.”
While it appears that the restraining order may have been issued, the ballots have already been printed, the Yellow Sheet reports, and overseas ballots have already been mailed.
Pima County Democratic Chair Jeff Rogers, who is not known for his tolerance of primary challengers, told the Yellow Sheet that, “It is a known fact that in an election, a Green Party candidate can siphon off enough votes to tip the election toward a GOP candidate.”
The matter is scheduled for court on March 12, at 1:30 p.m.