Democrat Ron Barber & Republican Jesse Kelly have prevailed in the Special Election for the vacant CD 8 House seat. Democratic Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords resigned from this seat on January 25, 2012 setting into motion this special primary election and the June 12 special general election. Giffords was shot in the head on January 8, 2011 and is still recovering in Houston, Texas.

352 precincts have reported completely. See Secretary of State’s website: http://results.enr.clarityelections.com/AZ/37929/78541/en/summary.html

Ron Barber

Jesse Kelly

Barber, Giffords’s former Tucson District Director for 5 years, ran unopposed and got 42,801 votes. Barber was also shot twice on January 8, 2011 in front of that Safeway at Ina/Oracle, and now walks with a limp.

Charlie Manolakis of Tucson, a Green Party candidate prevailed with 113 votes in their primary, easily defeating write-in candidate Richard Grayson of Apache Junction. According to the Pima County Recorder’s Office, Manolakis has been registered as a Democrat since September 1979, and only became a Green on March 12, 2012.

In the heated Republican primary where four candidates ran, here’s the latest results from the Arizona Secretary of State:

LD 30 State Senator Frank Antenori 15,732 (21.88%)
Jesse Kelly 25,679 (35.71%)
Martha McSally 17,943 (24.95%)
Dave Sitton 12,261 (17.05%)

There are 414,694 registered voters in CD 8 (Cochise, Pinal, Pima, Santa Cruz Counties), voter turnout was at 27.92%. Stay tuned for any updates.

Charlie Manolakis

For more information contact, Amanda Oien 749-3472 STARs President

The Republican candidates in the April 17 special election primary for CD 8 House are:

Frank Antenori, current LD 30 State Senator & former LD 30 House Rep., ran for this CD 8 seat in the 5-way Republican primary of 2006 (lost to Randy Graf, former LD 30 House Rep.), former Green Beret; www.antenori.com

Jesse Kelly, ran unsuccessfully against Congresswoman Giffords for this seat in Nov. 2010 after prevailing in a 4-way Republican August primary, project manager for family construction business, Marine; www.votejessekelly.com.

Martha McSally, former U.S. Air Force Colonel (first woman pilot to fly in combat), former Professor of National Security Studies at the George C. Marshall Center in Germany, political newcomer; www.mcsallyforcongress.com.

Dave Sitton, sports broadcaster, Marketing Director UA Cancer Center, political newcomer; www.davesitton.com.

Attend this debate to hear from the four Republican candidates for Congress in CD 8, one of whom will challenge Democrat Ron Barber (former District Director for Congresswoman Giffords since 2007, who was also shot on 1/8/11 along with Giffords), and Green Party candidate Charlie Manolakis, a community activist, in the June 12 special general election.

State Senator Frank Antenori

Jesse Kelly

Martha McSally

Dave Sitton