Candidates chosen for Congressional District 8 special election

April 18, 2012

Ron Barber, aide to former U.S. Representative Gabrielle Giffrods, ran unopposed in Tuesday’s Democratic primary. Jesse Kelly, who narrowly lost to Giffords in 2010, won the Republican nomination. Kelly talks about the upcoming election, and Jim Nintzel of the Tucson Weekly analyzes the campaign tactics of Barber and Kelly.

Kelly says he’s learned a lot from the last campaign, and his message is the same but his tactics are more efficient. Kelly believes the country is rife with natural resources that can be utilized to pay off the debt without compromising the environment. Kelly says if he wins he’ll be serving the people of Southern Arizona, and not bowing to the Washington leadership of political parties. He says he'll campaign based on the issues and his views, not based on the January 2011 shooting in Tucson.

Nintzel says the shooting probably won’t be front and center in Barber’s campaign either, but it may play a peripheral role. He says Barber and Kelly are in the same campaign but live in different universes. Nintzel thinks Kelly is more disciplined than in the last campaign, but still has views with somewhat inflammatory implications. Nintzel believes the outcome of this election will have a big impact on what happens in the next election.