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Gabrielle Giffords steps down
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| Gabrielle Giffords |
Bill Hess/Wick Communications
Surprise.
It is the only word to describe what Democrats and Republicans think about Democratic U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords' Sunday announcement that she is resigning her Arizona 8th Congressional seat effective sometime this week.
Cochise County Democratic Committee Chairman Rich Brownell said part of Saturday's discussions at a state party meeting in Tucson were about Giffords' future.
No one believed the three-term congresswoman, whose district includes all of Cochise County had made a decision about her immediate future, as she continues to recover from being shot in the head on Jan. 8, 2011.
"It was a bolt out of the blue," Brownell said Sunday evening.
At the Tucson meeting the major subject of discussion was the U.S. Senate race to replace retiring Republican U.S. Sen. Jon Kyl, with the two potential Democratic candidates for the statewide election - former U.S. Surgeon General Richard Carmona and former party chairman Don Bivens - speaking at the meeting, he said.
"The interest was on the Senate race," Brownell emphasized, adding Giffords' Sunday decision "was a big surprise for everyone," based on conversations he had on that day after the congresswoman's announcement.
Now besides the important U.S. Senate race, filling the remainder of the congresswoman's term means determining which Democrat will run for the unfilled portion of her term and who will seek the full two-year term in this year's general election in November, he said.
The unknowns are being juggled by both parties.
Republicans interested
Brownell's Republican county counterpart, Matt Creegan, said while there are a number of GOP individuals who have expressed an interest in running for the seat, they thought it would take place during the upcoming regular primary and then the November general elections.
Wishing Giffords well, Creegan, the chairman of the Cochise County Republican Committee, said, "I hope she has a meaningful recovery."
As for potential GOP candidates for the special and regular elections, Creegan said Arizona State Sen. Frank Antenori has said he was interested in the elections, but Antenori thought it would be for the regular election.
Antenori told the Herald/Review that with two primary and two general elections between now and November - one to fill the rest of the CD8 term and the other to run in the new CD2 election - the issue requires careful study.
Sunday, his campaign staff was to meet to look into the legal issues, involving discussion of whether the two elections would have to have separate signature lists and campaign finance books, he said.
The state senator is already preparing for the CD2 race and now is waiting on how to also put his hat into the special CD8 race.
Due to the 2010 census, Arizona received an additional House seat which had meant redrawing district lines for the congressional and legislative districts. There is little difference between the old CD8 and new CD2 districts.
"I'm definitely interested," in running in both elections, Antenori said, but he wants to make sure it is done legally.
Creegan said another Republican who has expressed an interest in running for the CD2 race - the congressional district which has yet to be approved by the U.S. Department of Justice - is John Lervold.
A Sierra Vista resident, Lervold told the Herald/Review he formerly was a Libertarian but left that party because of its unrealistic foreign policy ideas.
The 33-year-old Fort Huachuca contractor, who instructs intelligence courses and is a former soldier originally from Sacramento, Calif., said he believes a person with his conservative credentials is who the people will want in Washington.
Other potential Republican candidates are Jesse Kelly, a Tea Party favorite who narrowly lost to Giffords in the 2010 election, and Jonathan Paton, who lost to Kelly in the GOP primary that year. Neither could be contacted for comment by press time.
No Dem names yet
Brownell said who will come out to carry the Democratic banner in the special and regular election for Congress this year is unknown. No names are currently being floated, he said.
Pat Fleming, who is running for a senate seat in the Arizona Legislature, said she also has no idea who will seek the soon to be vacant office.
There will have to "be a lot of thinking" who the party will support she said, adding right now no names have surfaced, although Fleming expects they will soon.
Under Arizona law, once Giffords' letter of resignation designating a specific date she will terminate her office is sent to the GOP governor and the Republican Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives - Jan Brewer and John Boehner respectively - is provided, Arizona's chief executive has a clock of times to meet to call the special elections.
First, Brewer will have three days after the resignation is effective to set both a primary election date and a general election date to fill the remainder of Giffords' term, which concludes at the end of the year.
As part of the process, the governor determines what day, between 80 and 90 days after calling for the special elections the primary will take place and within 50 to 60 days after the primary when the general election for the CD8 race will take place.
The governor said, "Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords has been a noble public servant to the State of Arizona, and a model of what can be accomplished with persistence and determination. Her remarkable recovery over the last year is an inspiration to us all.
"Upon the Congresswoman's office being officially declared vacant, I will call a special Primary and general election in order to fill the 8th Congressional District vacancy, in accordance with Arizona law."
In her Sunday announcement Giffords said her public service career has not ended.
"I will return and we will work together for Arizona and this great country," she said.
Noting she has a lot more recovery to do, "so to do what is best for Arizona, I will step down this week," the congresswoman said she can do nothing about the circumstances of what happened on Jan. 8, 2011, something she said she still cannot remember.
Giffords finished the Congress On our Corner event she was holding in Tucson when she and others were shot on Jan. 8, 2011.
She also thanked representatives of her advisory councils and others who have worked with her on issues of importance to her constituents.
The congresswoman visited the Gabrielle Giffords Family Assistance Center at the Community Food Bank of Southern Arizona.
And, symbolically, while still a member of the U.S. House of Representatives, she attended President Barack Obama's annual State of the Union speech Tuesday at the Capitol.
Although Giffords will step down from Congress later this week, the 8th District congressional offices in Washington, Tucson and Sierra Vista will remain open to help constituents until the new member of Congress takes office later this year, a Sunday press release from her office stated.
In her video message, Giffords said, "Arizona is my home, always will be. A lot has happened over the past year. We cannot change that. But I know on the issues we fought for, we can change things for the better. Jobs, border security, veterans. We can do so much more by working together.
"I don't remember much from that horrible day, but I will never forget the trust you placed in me to be your voice. Thank you for your prayers and for giving me time to recover. I have more work to do on my recovery, so to do what is best for Arizona, I will step down this week."
Longtime Cochise County political personality, Judy Gignac, who served on the Cochise County Board of Supervisors and has been appointed to a number of state commissions, such as the Board of Regents for universities, said, it is clear the congresswoman's decision was closely held by her staff, family and friends.
"It is obvious she thought about it a lot," said Gignac, who once was a Republican but now is registered as an Independent.
"Somebody or somebodies," will want to fill the unexpired part of the congresswoman's third term, as well as run for the two-year term in November, Gignac said.
But she, too, has no idea how many will step up for the special election for the CD8 race or the regular one for CD2.
Gignac said it has to be someone with name recognition and unfortunately, she said she doesn't see anyone in Cochise County who could win.
Whoever does win the special CD8 election, be it a Democrat or Republican, will win the CD2 race, Gignac forecast.
"I hope and pray that those who run in both parties do it with grace, dedication and respect that Gabby Giffords did," Gignac said.
What happens next?
If Democratic U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords resignation from her Arizona 8th Congressional District seat is effective on Friday, that means Republican Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer has until next Monday to set special primary and general elections to fill the rest of Giffords' term, which concludes the end of December.
The governor has to set the primary no sooner than 80 days and no later than 90 days, after calling the special election cycle, and taking 85 days as an example would mean April 24 would be the primary election day.
Then, if the governor takes the 55th day from the 50 to 60 days after the primary for the special general election that would put the voting on June 19, leaving slightly more than six months for the winner to serve the remainder of Giffords' term.
The above is an example of one possible scenario which could happened and is not based on specific dates, which could be earlier or later, as long as they meet the requirements of Arizona law as far as time frames are concerned.
Find the video
To download the congresswoman's video, go to: bit.ly/w3PD1I.There are three versions available, including a 300MB high-resolution version for television use.
Surprise.
It is the only word to describe what Democrats and Republicans think about Democratic U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords' Sunday announcement that she is resigning her Arizona 8th Congressional seat effective sometime this week.
Cochise County Democratic Committee Chairman Rich Brownell said part of Saturday's discussions at a state party meeting in Tucson were about Giffords' future.
No one believed the three-term congresswoman, whose district includes all of Cochise County had made a decision about her immediate future, as she continues to recover from being shot in the head on Jan. 8, 2011.
"It was a bolt out of the blue," Brownell said Sunday evening.
At the Tucson meeting the major subject of discussion was the U.S. Senate race to replace retiring Republican U.S. Sen. Jon Kyl, with the two potential Democratic candidates for the statewide election - former U.S. Surgeon General Richard Carmona and former party chairman Don Bivens - speaking at the meeting, he said.
"The interest was on the Senate race," Brownell emphasized, adding Giffords' Sunday decision "was a big surprise for everyone," based on conversations he had on that day after the congresswoman's announcement.
Now besides the important U.S. Senate race, filling the remainder of the congresswoman's term means determining which Democrat will run for the unfilled portion of her term and who will seek the full two-year term in this year's general election in November, he said.
The unknowns are being juggled by both parties.
Republicans interested
Brownell's Republican county counterpart, Matt Creegan, said while there are a number of GOP individuals who have expressed an interest in running for the seat, they thought it would take place during the upcoming regular primary and then the November general elections.
Wishing Giffords well, Creegan, the chairman of the Cochise County Republican Committee, said, "I hope she has a meaningful recovery."
As for potential GOP candidates for the special and regular elections, Creegan said Arizona State Sen. Frank Antenori has said he was interested in the elections, but Antenori thought it would be for the regular election.
Antenori told the Herald/Review that with two primary and two general elections between now and November - one to fill the rest of the CD8 term and the other to run in the new CD2 election - the issue requires careful study.
Sunday, his campaign staff was to meet to look into the legal issues, involving discussion of whether the two elections would have to have separate signature lists and campaign finance books, he said.
The state senator is already preparing for the CD2 race and now is waiting on how to also put his hat into the special CD8 race.
Due to the 2010 census, Arizona received an additional House seat which had meant redrawing district lines for the congressional and legislative districts. There is little difference between the old CD8 and new CD2 districts.
"I'm definitely interested," in running in both elections, Antenori said, but he wants to make sure it is done legally.
Creegan said another Republican who has expressed an interest in running for the CD2 race - the congressional district which has yet to be approved by the U.S. Department of Justice - is John Lervold.
A Sierra Vista resident, Lervold told the Herald/Review he formerly was a Libertarian but left that party because of its unrealistic foreign policy ideas.
The 33-year-old Fort Huachuca contractor, who instructs intelligence courses and is a former soldier originally from Sacramento, Calif., said he believes a person with his conservative credentials is who the people will want in Washington.
Other potential Republican candidates are Jesse Kelly, a Tea Party favorite who narrowly lost to Giffords in the 2010 election, and Jonathan Paton, who lost to Kelly in the GOP primary that year. Neither could be contacted for comment by press time.
No Dem names yet
Brownell said who will come out to carry the Democratic banner in the special and regular election for Congress this year is unknown. No names are currently being floated, he said.
Pat Fleming, who is running for a senate seat in the Arizona Legislature, said she also has no idea who will seek the soon to be vacant office.
There will have to "be a lot of thinking" who the party will support she said, adding right now no names have surfaced, although Fleming expects they will soon.
Under Arizona law, once Giffords' letter of resignation designating a specific date she will terminate her office is sent to the GOP governor and the Republican Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives - Jan Brewer and John Boehner respectively - is provided, Arizona's chief executive has a clock of times to meet to call the special elections.
First, Brewer will have three days after the resignation is effective to set both a primary election date and a general election date to fill the remainder of Giffords' term, which concludes at the end of the year.
As part of the process, the governor determines what day, between 80 and 90 days after calling for the special elections the primary will take place and within 50 to 60 days after the primary when the general election for the CD8 race will take place.
The governor said, "Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords has been a noble public servant to the State of Arizona, and a model of what can be accomplished with persistence and determination. Her remarkable recovery over the last year is an inspiration to us all.
"Upon the Congresswoman's office being officially declared vacant, I will call a special Primary and general election in order to fill the 8th Congressional District vacancy, in accordance with Arizona law."
In her Sunday announcement Giffords said her public service career has not ended.
"I will return and we will work together for Arizona and this great country," she said.
Noting she has a lot more recovery to do, "so to do what is best for Arizona, I will step down this week," the congresswoman said she can do nothing about the circumstances of what happened on Jan. 8, 2011, something she said she still cannot remember.
Giffords finished the Congress On our Corner event she was holding in Tucson when she and others were shot on Jan. 8, 2011.
She also thanked representatives of her advisory councils and others who have worked with her on issues of importance to her constituents.
The congresswoman visited the Gabrielle Giffords Family Assistance Center at the Community Food Bank of Southern Arizona.
And, symbolically, while still a member of the U.S. House of Representatives, she attended President Barack Obama's annual State of the Union speech Tuesday at the Capitol.
Although Giffords will step down from Congress later this week, the 8th District congressional offices in Washington, Tucson and Sierra Vista will remain open to help constituents until the new member of Congress takes office later this year, a Sunday press release from her office stated.
In her video message, Giffords said, "Arizona is my home, always will be. A lot has happened over the past year. We cannot change that. But I know on the issues we fought for, we can change things for the better. Jobs, border security, veterans. We can do so much more by working together.
"I don't remember much from that horrible day, but I will never forget the trust you placed in me to be your voice. Thank you for your prayers and for giving me time to recover. I have more work to do on my recovery, so to do what is best for Arizona, I will step down this week."
Longtime Cochise County political personality, Judy Gignac, who served on the Cochise County Board of Supervisors and has been appointed to a number of state commissions, such as the Board of Regents for universities, said, it is clear the congresswoman's decision was closely held by her staff, family and friends.
"It is obvious she thought about it a lot," said Gignac, who once was a Republican but now is registered as an Independent.
"Somebody or somebodies," will want to fill the unexpired part of the congresswoman's third term, as well as run for the two-year term in November, Gignac said.
But she, too, has no idea how many will step up for the special election for the CD8 race or the regular one for CD2.
Gignac said it has to be someone with name recognition and unfortunately, she said she doesn't see anyone in Cochise County who could win.
Whoever does win the special CD8 election, be it a Democrat or Republican, will win the CD2 race, Gignac forecast.
"I hope and pray that those who run in both parties do it with grace, dedication and respect that Gabby Giffords did," Gignac said.
What happens next?
If Democratic U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords resignation from her Arizona 8th Congressional District seat is effective on Friday, that means Republican Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer has until next Monday to set special primary and general elections to fill the rest of Giffords' term, which concludes the end of December.
The governor has to set the primary no sooner than 80 days and no later than 90 days, after calling the special election cycle, and taking 85 days as an example would mean April 24 would be the primary election day.
Then, if the governor takes the 55th day from the 50 to 60 days after the primary for the special general election that would put the voting on June 19, leaving slightly more than six months for the winner to serve the remainder of Giffords' term.
The above is an example of one possible scenario which could happened and is not based on specific dates, which could be earlier or later, as long as they meet the requirements of Arizona law as far as time frames are concerned.
Find the video
To download the congresswoman's video, go to: bit.ly/w3PD1I.There are three versions available, including a 300MB high-resolution version for television use.
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