Arizona lawmaker and surgeon Randy Friese running for Congress

PHOENIX – A second major candidate has officially joined the 2022 race to succeed U.S. Rep. Ann Kirkpatrick, who isn’t seeking reelection.

State Rep. Randy Friese, a trauma surgeon who treated then-U.S. Rep. Gabriel Giffords after she was critically wounded in a shooting 10 years ago, announced his candidacy for the District 2 seat last week.

The U.S. Navy Medical Corps veteran and retired University of Arizona College of Medicine professor joined a fellow Tucson Democratic state lawmaker, Sen. Kirsten Engel, in the race.

Friese treated Giffords and other victims of the Jan. 8, 2011 mass shooting in Tucson.

Three years later, motivated by the issue gun violence, he successfully ran for a seat in the state House.

He raised more than $100,000 from nearly 1,500 donations in the first four days of his official campaign, according to a Monday press release.

“I’m energized by the passionate response from friends, family, and concerned constituents for fact-based solutions to the public health crises we face, including gun violence,” Friese said in the release.

Boundaries of the 2nd Congressional District’s boundaries likely will change due to redistricting ahead of the 2022 election, but it currently includes parts of Tucson and southeastern Arizona.

The district has been competitive in recent years. Before Democrat Kirkpatrick first won the seat in 2018, Republican Martha McSally held it.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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