Potential Democratic Candidates in the Arizona 2012 Senate Race
With Jon Kyle’s, the Arizona republican minority whip in the U.S. Senate, decision not to run for a fourth term in 2012, the state democratic party has found itself caught between opportunity and indecisiveness in fielding a candidate to run in the primary election by next May.
In Arizona, where every statewide office and both U.S. senate seats, are controlled by republicans, Kyle’s decision not to run for reelection is an opportunity for the democrats to gain a major political seat and to offset some of the republican political power in the state.You can find a quick rundown here
The indecisiveness in selecting a democratic candidate to run in the 2012 U.S. senatorial primary election lies in the medical rehabilitation of U.S. Congresswoman, Gabrielle Giffords, shot in the head in an assassination attempt in January. Giffords is viewed by Arizona democrats as the best candidate to win Kyle’s vacated seat, but it is uncertain she would medically be able to meet the May 2012 filing deadline.
So far, only one democratic candidate has officially announced he would run in next year’s primary. On September 26, Don Bivens, former chairman of the Arizona Democratic Party, threw his hat in the ring.
Two other prominent names mentioned as possible democratic candidates for Kyle’s seat are Janet Napolitano, secretary of U.S. Homeland Security and a former governor of Arizona and Richard Carmona, a former U.S Surgeon General appointed by U.S. President George W. Bush in 2006.
Others mentioned are Dennis Burke, a U.S. attorney: Andrei Cherney, current chairman of the Arizona democratic party; David Crow, President of Tucson Embedded Systems; Rodney Glasman, former U.S. senate candidate; Terry Goddard, former state attorney general; Phil Gordon, Phoenix Mayor; Jon Hulbird, attorney; Harry Mitchell, former U.S. representative; Ed Pastor, a U.S. representative and Felicia Rotellini. a former candidate for state attorney general.