Ann Kirkpatrick announces another run for Congress in Arizona
Jul 21, 2017, 11:26 AM
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PHOENIX — Nearly a month after speculation that she would re-enter politics, former U.S. Rep Ann Kirkpatrick of Arizona announced Friday she was running for Congress.
Kirkpatrick, a Democrat, said in a press release, “Let’s cut to the chase — I’ve decided to run for Congress in Arizona’s 2nd Congressional District.”
If she wins the primary, Kirkpatrick will face second-term Republican Martha McSally for the job of representing parts of Tucson and Pima County and all of Cochise County in southern Arizona.
Eight other Democrats have also made plans to run for that office, including Matt Heinz, who lost to McSally last year. He earned 43 percent of the votes to McSally’s 57 percent.
In June, the Arizona Daily Star reported that Kirkpatrick had moved to Tucson and was putting together an exploratory committee.
Kirkpatrick served three terms in Congress for Arizona’s 1st District from 2009-2011 and again in 2013 until she lost a bid to unseat U.S. Sen. John McCain in the 2016 general election.
Democrat Tom O’Halleran holds the seat in the 1st District now.
The 67-year-old grew up in northeastern Arizona and attended the University of Arizona, where she also graduated law school.
She served two terms in the state House of Representatives starting in 2005.