There is a special election in Arizona today to fill the remaining term of Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, who is still recovering from a gunshot wound suffered in January 2011. According to Public Policy Polling, the first available poll in the district has former Giffords staffer Ron Barber holding the seat easily:
Democrat Ron Barber leads with 53% to 41% for Republican Jesse Kelly, with Green Party candidate Charlie Manolakis polling at 4%. Barber is well liked by voters in the district, sporting a 54/38 favorability rating. Kelly, meanwhile, has very high negatives with only 37% of voters rating him positively while 59% have a negative opinion.
This is interesting in that Giffords barely defeated Republican Jesse Kelly in 2010.
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Mr. Sensitivity?
Recently, a PAC ran this picture for one of their fundraising events. Neither Kelly nor the PAC bothered to acknowledge how utterly inappropriate, insensitive or hurtful this is to pretty much everybody that lives in this district.
Asked for a comment in regards to the Move Forward America Freedom PAC’s flyer, this was Kelly’s response:
Can you say tone deaf?
But like the Wisconsin recall, I wonder how many voters saw this as “Giffords’ seat” until the November general election and voted her aide in to hold her place?
Turnout was strong enough – it wasn’t like Republicans just shrugged it off. Did Kelly come off too strong between the shooting and now? I can’t remember if he was suggesting he’d run in the next election early on, or…
The district (new numbering) moves toward the blue for the upcoming election, so Barber’s election tonight could also be indicative of the future of the district.
The Republicans see every seat, from street sweeper to president, as must win. Some fights do not get as much action as other seats, but Republicans want them. That this seat stays Dem is important, but it also may garner more attention from the RNC in the general election.