Frank Antenori, First Potential Gabrielle Giffords Challenger, Emerges

[onehandle]

Source: Huffington Post

PHOENIX -- Is Rep. Gabrielle Giffords running for re-election? That's a question State Sen. Frank Antenori of Tucson wants to answer before the May 15 deadline for submitting nominating petitions. The first potential candidate to publicly declare an interest in running for the southern Arizona post, Antenori said Thursday he feels Democrats are exploiting a perception that she's running for re-election as a way to blunt attempts by the GOP to win the seat.

"You are not going to use this strategy for a political purpose and try to keep Republicans out of the race until May. Ain't gonna happen," Antenori said, explaining that such a late announcement by Giffords would leave GOP candidates flat-footed. Giffords, who is in her third term in Congress but has spent the past eight months recovering from a gunshot wound she suffered during a meeting with voters, hasn't publicly said whether she'll seek re-election. She also has been mentioned as a potential candidate for a U.S. Senate seat next year.

Arizona Democratic Party spokeswoman Jennifer Johnson said the decision on whether Giffords will run is for the congresswoman and her family to make. "Her recovery isn't based on (Antenori's) political ambitions," Johnson said. Speculation on Giffords' future has buzzed since her surprise return to Congress earlier this month to cast her first vote since the Jan. 8 shooting in Tucson that wounded 12 others and killed six people, including one of her aides. Her return to vote on the debt ceiling deal was celebrated as proof she could possibly return full-time to politics.

Giffords campaign chairman Michael McNulty didn't immediately return calls placed Thursday. Some Republicans have privately expressed reluctance in speaking publicly about the future of the seat because of sensitivities of commenting on her career as she was recovering.

Read more: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/08/19/gabrielle-giffords-reelection-frank-antenori_n_931155.html

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

1. 'Tis the season for everyone to get their Q numbers.

[dtexdem]

2. Already climbed out from under the rock, huh?

[Wait Wut]

3. Antenori...

...sounds foreign. Better check his papers.

May is May, asshole. I'll send you a calendar.

[left on green only]

4. Frank Antenori - Oink Oink