• Tricia McInroy

Republican Ray Carroll was appointed Pima County District 4 Supervisor in 1997 and was elected in 1998. In the 13 years Carroll's been in office he's been reelected every election in 2000, 2004 and 2008 — all without opposition. Until now.

According to the Quail Creek Republican Club newsletter, Carroll's challenger for the District 4 seat is Sean Collins, a U.S. Air Force veteran who owns the Vail Dairy Queen with his wife Tracy. "Collins was in the Air Force for almost 22 years, stationed at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base from 1999 until he retired as a senior non-commissioned officer in 2003." (He'll be speaking at the group's meeting on Friday, Feb. 17, 9 a.m. at the Quail Creek Madera Clubhouse).

We called Collins and are waiting to find out more from him regarding his interest in running or politics. However, political buzz is that this is what happens when you take a stand against Rosemont Copper Mine. Running what some say is a final lap to a doomed project, so the company continues its efforts to make friends and influence folks with community donations, and now a political race.

Arizona's current tea bag political climate could make Carroll more vulnerable than previous campaigns. We were told Rick Grinnell, a failed mayoral candidate, self-described Rosemont lobbyist, and a member of the delusional state-appointed Rio Nuevo board, along with failed gubernatorial candidate John Munger, are driving the Collins' campaign boat and raising thousands of dollars to put Carroll down.

However, Grinnell told us today that he's not involved in Collins' campaign. Still waiting to hear back from Munger.

Perhaps Collins will take the jobs argument on behalf of Rosemont. After all he and his wife are entrepreneurs who provide jobs at their new Dairy Queen — a business they opened with the help from a Small Business Administration Patriot Express loan specifically for veterans. Although, for others water is still going to be considered this desert's most precious resource.

That was Carroll's argument when the mine's proposal first came before Pima County three years ago when he beat the Democratic majority in defending water forcing the county to get into a needed defense mode. So, Carroll may be vulnerable this year because ultimately he's not a tea bagger?

Of course that doesn't mean he doesn't have those classic Republican ideologies that have sometimes made life miserable for Pima County Administrator Chuck Huckleberry and the Democratic majority on the board. The annual process to approve the county budget is a great example of this.

However, Carroll's work to defend the Santa Rita's and the Davidson Canyon aquifer, and at the same time fight for taxpayers during the budget season, have helped him create a wide base of support and he's been recognized for those efforts — in 2007 he received the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Outstanding Achievement Award for Public Service; in 2007 he received the Hero of the Taxpayer Award by the Arizona Federation of Taxpayers; in 2008 the Sky Island Alliance Award for Public Service for his leadership in opposing the proposed Rosemont; and in 2009 the Governor Howard Pyle Award by the Republican Party of Arizona for his political leadership in Southern Arizona.

• JD Fitzgerald
• Ron Barber and Gabrielle Giffords met with rancher Warner Glenn shortly before Giffords resigned from Congress

Ron Barber made it official this morning: He’s going to run as a Democrat in the June 12 special election to complete the term of Gabrielle Giffords in Southern Arizona's Congressional District 8.

"It took me a little while to wrap my head around the idea, but now that I have, I'm going full bore,” says Barber, who has served as district director for Giffords’ office since she was first elected in 2006.

Barber said Giffords and her husband, former astronaut Mark Kelly, asked him to get into the race. Earlier today, Mark Kelly posted a fundraising appeal on his Facebook page to help Barber build a campaign warchest.

Barber was shot twice on Jan. 8, once in the face and once in the upper thigh. Doctors nearly had to amputate his left leg, which remains numb below the knee because of nerve damage. He now walks with a cane and has to wear a brace to support his foot.

But he said he wouldn’t let his physical problems slow him down.

"I've checked myself both physically and mentally and I'm ready to get into this thing 100 percent with family support," Barber said. "I'm ready to do it."

Barber says there are a number of reason why he got into the race.

"I'm really concerned—as most people are—about what's going on Washington, with all the name-calling and bickering and gridlock," Barber said. "I've done what I can over the last year to promote the idea of civility and respect in political discourse and certainly one of the things I hope I can do in both running and hopefully being elected and going to Washington, is to bring both that tone and that attitude to what we're trying to do."

Barber said that if elected, he would be able to "prevent any break to the continuity" of the work being done by the current Congressional District 8 staff. He wants to continue the office's work on foreclosure cases, assist seniors with their government benefits and assist veterans returning from Iraq and, in the future, Afghanistan.

"I want to continue to help those people as we've helped them over the last five years," Barber said. "We have to work very hard so that veterans get a fair shake, both in terms of medical services and getting back into the work force."

Barber returned to work six months after the shooting, although his doctors insisted he limit his schedule to four hours a day.

In the wake of the shooting, he also founded the Fund for Civility, Respect and Understanding, which is designed to combat bullying in schools, support programs for the mentally ill and encourage civility in politics.

He’s thrown several rock ’n’ roll concerts to support the fund, including a star-studded event headlined by Jackson Browne and Alice Cooper at the Tucson Convention Center last March and a Ben Folds concert at the Fox Theatre last month.

Barber spent most of his career heading up the state’s Southern Arizona Department of Developmental Disabilities—a job he quit in order to help Giffords get elected.

Barber's entry into the race will most likely clear the Democratic field in the special election, with potential candidates instead setting their sights on the regular election for the new Congressional District 2 later this year.

Barber said he hadn't yet decided whether he'd be running for the new Congressional District 2 seat.

"I think it's kind of presumptuous to get out ahead of myself," Barber said. "I've really got to be smart and focus on what's immediately in front of me and that's what I'm going to do. The decision on whether to run for CD2 will come in time, but not now."

Meanwhile, five Republicans are now set to battle it out in the April 17 GOP primary: 2010 GOP nominee Jesse Kelly; state Sen. Frank Antenori; businessman and sports broadcaster Dave Sitton; former A-10 Thunderbolt II fighter pilot Martha McSally; and political newcomer John Lervold.

Here’s more on Barber, from a TW story last March:

• Jim Nintzel

Today, Southern Arizonan and former Gabrielle Giffords District Director Ron Barber announced his candidacy for Congress in Arizona’s 8th Congressional District. Barber pledged to continue Gabrielle Giffords’ legacy of working across the aisle to solve problems for the people of Southern Arizona such as protecting veterans and seniors, investing in clean energy to create jobs and securing the border.

“Our community needs someone who will put politics aside and solve problems for the people of Southern Arizona,” Ron Barber said. “My commitment is to be honest with the people of this district and help restore civility to our public life. My first priority won’t be the next election — but the next generation. That means balancing the budget the right way by protecting Social Security and Medicare, creating jobs, and securing our border.”

Ron Barber served as District Director for Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords from 2007 until she retired. At Giffords’ direction and under Barber’s leadership, the district offices focused on solving problems for veterans, military families, seniors, and any resident who experienced difficulty with the federal government. In January 2011, Barber was wounded alongside Giffords. After the shooting, he and his family created the Fund for Civility, Respect and Understanding to help the community heal by supporting survivors of the tragedy, aiding first responders, reducing bullying in schools, and increasing awareness of mental health symptoms.

Before working for Giffords, he ran the Arizona Division of Developmental Disabilities, where he built one of the top five programs in the nation that helped people with disabilities to get jobs and live successfully in their community.

Barber and his wife, Nancy, owned and ran a small business for 22 years. He understands the challenges faced by small businesses and will be an advocate for the changes that will make it easier for them to grow and thrive.

“My commitment is to work across the aisle, find common ground and restore civility to our politics so we can strengthen middle-class families of Southern Arizona,” Barber said. “My life’s work hasn’t been politics, it’s been about getting results and solving problems for people. I’ve been honored by the outpouring of support for our campaign. While there will never be anyone who can fill Congresswoman Giffords’ shoes, I look forward to continuing her legacy of putting problem-solving before politics.”

In announcing his campaign, Barber pledged to focus on balancing the budget the right way, by protecting Social Security and Medicare, creating jobs, keeping our promises to veterans and securing the border.

Ron Barber, the longtime district director for Gabrielle Giffords' Congressional District 8 office, is expected to announce plans to enter the race to complete her term today. Details to follow, but for background, see this week's Skinny column:

As our print deadline closes in, it appears likely that Ron Barber, who has served as the district director for Giffords' congressional office since her election in 2006, will enter the race to finish out her term in Congressional District 8.

"I would be shocked if we didn't hear an announcement soon that Barber is running for the interim position," Pima County Democratic Party chairman Jeff Rogers told us earlier this week, adding that a Giffords endorsement would probably come along with the announcement.

Barber, 66, who was nearly killed after being shot twice on Jan. 8, is thought to be offering himself up as a caretaker for the remainder of Giffords' term, but multiple sources tell us he will not run for the new Congressional District 2 later this year.

Republican Jesse Kelly picks up the key endorsement—and $10,000—from Citizens United in the special election to complete the term of Gabrielle Giffords, who resigned from Congress on Jan. 25.

The release from Citizens United:

Citizens United Political Victory Fund (CUPVF), the affiliated PAC of Citizens United, issued the following statement endorsing combat veteran Jesse Kelly for the special election in Arizona’s 8th Congressional District. CUPVF has also contributed $10,000 total — $5,000 respectively for Kelly’s primary and general elections.

“Citizens United Political Victory Fund was an early supporter for Jesse Kelly in 2010, and it is an honor to be one of his first supporters in this race.” said David N. Bossie, President of Citizens United. “Jesse Kelly has shown that he can run a very strong campaign in Arizona’s 8th Congressional District. Jesse is a Marine Corps veteran and true hero of the conservative movement. I urge all Republican primary voters in Arizona’s 8th District to rally around Jesse Kelly because he will work hard for lower taxes, a strong economy, and more jobs when he is in Congress.”

Kelly is facing state Sen. Frank Antenori, business/sports broadcaster Dave Sitton and John Lervold in the April 17 GOP primary. A fifth Republican, Martha McSally, is expected to join the race tomorrow.