Three debates are scheduled between 2 term Democratic CD 8 Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords and her two challengers, Republican Jesse Kelly (project manager for family contracting business) and Libertarian Dr. Steve Stoltz (an engineer at Raytheon). The events are listed below, followed by the candidates’ campaign websites & photos.

1) AZ-08 General Election Debate hosted by the Associated Students of the University of Arizona (ASUA) in partnership with KUAT and Cox Communications. Panel of Journalists to question the candidates: Christopher Conover, Arizona Public Media; Dan Shearer, Green Valley News & Sun; Jim Nintzel (Tucson Weekly), and Emily Fritze of ASUA.

Monday, October 18, 7 p.m. (doors open at 6 p.m.)

University of Arizona – Student Union, 3rd Floor Grand Ballroom, 1303 E. University Blvd.

Arizona Public Media will air the Arizona Congressional District 8 Debate live at 7PM on PBS-HD Channel 6, NPR-KUAZ 89.1FM/1550AM, and online at http://ondemand.azpm.org

2) AZ-08 General Election Debate hosted by the Sierra Vista Chamber of Commerce

Wednesday, October 20, 5:30 p.m.

Buena High School Performing Arts Center

5225 E. Buena School Road, Sierra Vista, AZ

3) AZ-08 General Election Debate on KUAT’s Arizona Illustrated (www.azpm.org)

Friday, October 22, 6:00 p.m.

The debate will air Friday evening for one hour as part of the regularly scheduled Arizona Illustrated program on KUAT Channel 6.

CAMPAIGN WEBSITES:

Congresswomen Gabrielle Giffords (D): www.gabriellegiffords.com

Jesse Kelly (R), www.votejessekelly.com

Dr. Steve Stoltz (L): www.stevestoltzforcongress.com

CD 8 registered voters at time of 8/24/10 primary:
Democrats 139,982, Libertarians 2826, Republicans 157,327, Greens 832, Others 120,772 for a total of 421,739 registered voters. Update of # of voters for General Election not available online from Sec. of State’s website.

CD 8 encompasses all of Cochise county, and parts of Pima, Pinal, and Santa Cruz counties (see wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arizona%27s_8th_congressional_district)

Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords

Jesse Kelly

Steve Stoltz

Two CD 7 debates are scheduled for the evening of October 13, and it will seem the candidates are in two places at about the same time, here in Tucson.

The first CD 7 debate between Democratic 4 term Congressman Raul Grijalva and his 3 challengers– Mortgage loan servicer George Keane (L), physicist/rocket scientist Ruth McClung (R), and former math teacher Harley Meyer (I) will be at 5:00 to 6 p.m. at Pima Community College Desert Vista Campus, 5901 S. Calle Santa Cruz, Pueblo Building cafeteria.

This event is co-hosted by the Tucson Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, Arizona Public Media, ASUA, and Pima Community College Desert Vista Campus. FREE and OPEN to the public, so show up to ask your questions of the candidates.

Campaign websites:
Congressman Raul Grijalva (D), www.grijalvaforcongress.com
George Keane (L)
Ruth McClung (R), www.ruth4az.com
Harley Meyer (I), www.harleymeyer.com

Also on Wednesday, October 13, Arizona Illustrated at the UA will televise a forum with Congressman Grijalva, Keane, McClung, and Meyer. They will tape this interview earlier in the day. You can then watch it at 6:30pm on Channel 6 KUAT. Or online at www.ondemand.azpm.org/ usually a few hours prior and thereafter.

CD 7 registered voter totals (from Arizona Sec. of State’s office after the 8/24/10 primary):
Democrats 142,283, Libertarians 2740, Republicans 75,437, Greens 674, Others 103,750 for a total of 324,884. An updated count for the General Election is not available online as yet.
Congressional District 7 encompasses parts of five Arizona counties: La Paz, Maricopa, Pima, Pinal, Santa Cruz, and all of Yuma County.

Congressman Grijalva has served this new district since January, 2003 and it was created in time for the November, 2002 election, based on the increase in population in Arizona from the 2000 Census.