The Pima County Young Republican Club is joining with the LD 26 Republican Party to co-sponsor a Republican candidate debate for the CD 8 Special Primary Election.

Where: Canyon Del Oro High School
25 W Calle Concordia,
Oro Valley, AZ 85704
(520) 696-5560

When: Monday, March 26, 2012, 7:00 PM (doors open at 6 p.m. auditorium seats 650 people)

KVOI 1030 AM “the Voice” Radio Network will be simulcasting the debate live.

After injured Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords resigned from her CD 8 House seat, several candidates announced. 4 Republicans, one Democrat and one Green are now officially running in the special election to fill this vacancy. The Primary is set for April 17, the general election for June 12, to fill the remainder of the term through December 2012.

Who are scheduled to debate on March 26:

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

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

Dave Sitton, sports broadcaster, Marketing Director UA Cancer Center, political newcomer; 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 General.

State Senator Frank Antenori

Jesse Kelly

Martha McSally

Dave Sitton

The special election primary for this race is set for Tuesday, April 17, and early voting began on March 22.

These same candidates debated at Sabino HS on March 15 (click here), and note my comments under that blog.

And if you want to participate in an online straw poll by fellow blogger Art Jacobson (“The Data Port”), with 821 votes so far and Senator Antenori leading with 35%, click here.

If you can’t get enough political news and opinions from the regular media outlets, check out the rolling blogsites (online only) from these others:

On the “liberal” side:

–Blog for Arizona, www.blogforarizona.com, by Michael Bryan, David Safier, “AZBlueMeanie”, Craig McDermott (“Random Musings“), and Jenn F

–The Observer, www.tucsonobserver.com by Bob Ellis and Mark Kerr (latter was formerly here at Tucsoncitizen.com). The Observer has a print edition as well.

–The Range (Tucson Weekly), www.tucsonweekly.com/blogs/theRange/ by a host of reporters including Jim Nintzel, Dan Gibson, Mari Herreras, and others.

–Rum Romanism Rebellion, www.rumromanismrebellion.net by Ted Prezelski aka “Tedski” (former Democratic candidate for LD 28 House and brother of former LD 29 House Rep. Tom Prezelski)

In the middle:

–Pueblo Politics (AZ Daily Star, www.azstarnet.com/blogs/pueblo-politics/, by Rhonda Bodfield & Andrea Kelly, Star reporters

On the “conservative” side:

–Arizona News-Telegraph, www.arizonanewstelegraph.com by former Republican LD 30 Rep. Randy Graf, with James Kelley, Hugh Holub, Jonathan DuHamel (the latter two are here at Tucsoncitizen.com as well, respectively as “View from Baja Arizona” and “Wry Heat“)

–The Cholla Jumps, www.thechollajumps.workdpress.com, by James Kelley (formerly here at Tucsoncitizen.com)

–Sonoran Alliance, www.sonoranalliance.com by ? (“We are an alliance of political writers and activists dedicated to reporting and promoting conservative news, ideas, opinion and principles throughout Arizona and the Sonoran Southwest.”)

–Tucson Choices, www.tucsonchoices.com by KVOI radio talk show hosts Joe Higgins (former Republican District 1 candidate for Pima County Supervisor) and Chris DeSimone, and others

Plus the wide range of political blogsites here at Tucsoncitizen.com, from the liberal “3 Sonorans” and “Tucson Progressive“, to the conservative “Compound Captive” and “Fort Buckley“. And I think “The Data Port” might be an Independent in the middle. See the list to the right on our home page of all the blogs under Politics & Government (Pol. & Govt.).

Many of these blogsites have lists & hyperlinks to other political blogrolls as well, in Arizona and elsewhere.

Let me know which are your favorites, or of any I may have overlooked in Southern Arizona.

Keep on blogging.

10/24/11 Updates: Hugh Holub (Views from Baja Arizona) passed away suddenly on 9/17/11. R.I.P. Hugh. Blogger 3 Sonorans reported today that The Cholla Jumps will no longer be blogging after 11/1/11, and liberal Poco Bravo (Luke Knipe) has returned online:
http://tucsoncitizen.com/three-sonorans/2011/10/23/one-blog-dies-another-one-experiences-rebirth/. And former Star reporter Andrea Kelly is now at KUAT Channel 6 TV.