CD 8 Democratic Congresswoman Gabrielle “Gabby” Giffords just won re-election to a 3rd term. Here’s the elections breakdown of her past races with her Republican challengers in Pima County:

Nov. 2006:
Gabrielle Giffords 55.20% 116,043
Randy Graf 41.09% 86,386
(14.11 percentage point difference)

Nov. 2008:
Gabrielle Giffords 56.00% 151,556
Tim Bee 41.61% 112,612
(14.39 percentage point difference)

Nov. 2010:
Gabrielle Giffords 49.93% 117,389
Jesse Kelly 46.08% 108,327
(3.85 percentage point difference)

Why was this 2010 race so close? Probably due to the rise of the Arizona Tea Party & Tucson Tea Party, the national economic crisis, the Republican Party anger over the passage of Federal Health Care legislation (aka “Obamacare”), the furor over the constitutionality of S.B. 1070 in Arizona, continued immigration problems at the border which includes CD 8, etc. And voters appeared tired of incumbents this year, who seemed responsible for the nation’s economic woes.

This was definitely 2 term incumbent Congresswoman Giffords’ toughest race, and she prevailed by only 4,156 votes out of a total of 283,978 votes cast in CD 8.

Her previous opponents in 2006 and 2008 were experienced politicians. Former LD 30 Rep. Randy Graf served 2 terms in the Arizona state house, and former State Senate President Tim Bee served 8 years in the Arizona State Senate, also from LD 30. So they were both somewhat well-known figures in LD 30, a part of Congressional District 8.

Then her third opponent was Jesse Kelly, a young Marine who had served in Iraq, with no political experience, yet he came the closest to winning. I heard Jesse speak at a number of forums, debates and events, and he had a dynamic, fresh personality that attracted voters, and he took advantage of the changing political times of this campaign year.

When I spoke with Randy Graf after the CD 8 debate at the University of Arizona Grand ballroom on October 18, he merely told me that in comparing his race in 2006 to the 2010 race, that “times have changed.” Indeed, it has. Read Randy’s review of that debate from his new online Arizona News-Telegraph by clicking here (from his PoliGRAF column).

Voter registration numbers in CD 8 from Pima County Recorder’s Office :
Democrats 114,523, Republicans 126,054, Libertarians 2499, Greens 719, independents 98,328.

The fact that CD 8 Libertarian candidate Steve Stoltz got 3.93% of the vote -11,174 votes) obviously shows that he drew votes from outside his party of only 2499 registered voters. Apparently Gabby got her 114,000 Democratic votes plus 24,000 other votes (likely the independents). Kelly got his 126,000 Republican votes but only 8,000 others. (But that’s only based on the assumption that all registered voters in CD 8 voted, and they didn’t.) Voter turnout was 55.65% statewide.

For a breakdown county by county in CD 8, check the Arizona Daily Star analysis this morning in their paper edition, page A5. They say that Kelly won in Cochise & Pinal Counties, with Giffords carrying Pima and Santa Cruz. Pima County voter turnout was 65.54%.

Regardless, attracting the “Independent voter” does matter in CD 8. Giffords said at her HQ volunteer appreciation party on November 6 that her win was due to a “broad based coalition” and her dedicated volunteers.

Wonder which Republican in Southern Arizona will challenge Congresswoman Giffords in 2012?

Former 2 term LD 30 State House Republican Rep. Randy Graf is the new editor of the online Arizona News-Telegraph, located in Green Valley. Randy told me they are concentrating on political news at the present, since he was covering the CD 8 U.S. House debate tonight at the UA Student Union. I asked him about his challenge against Democrat Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords back in 2006, and he said that “times had changed.”

Graf served in the State House from 2000 to 2004. In November 2006 Graf, Libertarian David Nolan (now running for U. S. Senate), and Independent Jay Quick (who just ran for this same race in the Republican primary) faced off with then-former LD 28 State Senator Giffords for that CD 8 U. S. House seat, previously held by Congressman Jim Kolbe.

Fellow TucsonCitizen.com bloggers Hugh Holub (“View from Baja Arizona”) and Jonathan DuHamel (“Wry Heat”) along with former Tucsoncitizen.com blogger Jim Kelley (“The Cholla Jumps”) have joined Randy as contributors on this new online news source for Southern Arizona. There is a “Green Valley/Sahuarita” link, along with links for the “Border”, Opinions, Event Calendar, & Comicals.

Website: www.arizonanewstelegraph.com, phone 520-270-1303, email: arizonanewstelegraph@cox.net. Mailing address is 287 W. El Nopal in Green Valley, AZ 85714.

Check out this brand new news source.

Radio talk show “Wake Up Tucson” (1030 AM KVOI) is hosting “The Great State Debate” on Friday May 7, between LD 28 State House Rep. Steve Farley and LD 30 State Senator Frank Antenori, at the Sheraton Tucson Hotel & Suites, 5151 E. Grant Road. The event will be in the Fire + Spice Bistro restaurant at high noon, to 1:30 p.m.

“Wake Up Tucson” is aired 6 to 8 a.m. daily by two businessmen hosts Joe Higgins and Chris DeSimone. Higgins challenged District 1 Pima County Supervisor Ann Day in the Republican primary of September, 2008.

From their website:
“Wake Up Tucson offers a unique perspective about the southern Arizona region. The topics range from small business, tourism, politics, economic opportunities and education. Tucson and the surrounding communities are at a turning point. The challenges and obstacles are great. Now more than ever the community needs to engage in a discussion about our options. The host(s) are highly involved in the community and bring first hand accounts to their listeners. Wake Up Tucson is a radio show with a mission and purpose to educate the community and engage the listeners to get involved in our community. ”

Democrat Steve Farley ran unsuccessfully for Tucson City Council (Ward 6), before being elected to the Arizona State House, where he has served for over three years, since 2007. Republican Frank Antenori was formerly a State House Rep. in LD 30 for one year prior to be appointed by the Pima County Board of Supervisors in March, 2010 to the State Senate. Both men are up for re-election this November. Antenori ran for CD 8 U. S. House in 2006, but lost to former LD 30 State House Rep. Randy Graf in the Republican primary.

Sounds like it will indeed be a “great state debate” about this past legislative session, and the future of our state.

LD 28 Rep. Steve Farley

LD 30 Sen. Frank Antenori