The stage is now set to decide who will fill the vacant seat of former congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords of Arizona.
This week, voters in southern Arizona’s 8th Congressional District selected Republican Jesse Kelly to face former Gabrielle Giffords aide Ron Barber in a special election, after Giffords stepped down earlier this year. Although Barber and Kelly will face off in a special general election in June, the two opponents have already started a war of words.
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| Jesse Kelly |
Barber said Kelly has “the wrong priorities” for southern Arizona’s middle class families and seniors.
“He supports a radical tax plan that would increase taxes by 23% for middle class families. He’s said that Medicare should be eliminated and Social Security should be phased out,” Barber said. “I am running to rebuild southern Arizona’s middle class… I think know the race is engaged.”
Kelly fired back, saying Barber is wrong and his focus is on cutting taxes, creating more jobs by building a stronger economy and lowering gas prices by opening up more federal lands to exploration.
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| Ron Barber |
“He’s proposed a 10% flat tax and every single American should pay the exact same tax rate.”
Giffords hand-picked Barber as her preferred replacement, which allowed him to gain strong financial support and no challengers in the Democratic primary. Kelly is a businessman and Tea Party favorite who nearly unseated Giffords in 2010.
The winner of the June 12th special general election will hold the seat until the end of 2012, when Giffords’ term officially expires. The race for the full term for her district will kick off with an August primary.
