State Senator Frank Antenori launched his campaign for Congressional District 8 today in Green Valley, making him the first candidate to officially get into the special election to fill Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords’ vacant seat.

Antenori gave the mandatory Obama-bashing, record-toting, base-riling campaign speech to a packed house of Green Valley Republicans, saying the election would be decided by economic issues, and he’s got a record of balancing budgets in tough times.

“We have got to do at a federal level what we did here in Arizona: We got to get the adults back in charge, cut up the credit cards that they’ve been running wild with, and get the country back on the same sound financial footing that we have here in Arizona.”

The special primary election will be held in April, and Antenori is looking at a probable run against Republicans Jesse Kelly, who narrowly lost a general election to Giffords in 2010, and local radio broadcaster Dave Sitton. The winners from both parties’ primaries will advance to the general election in June.

Antenori also said he is “110 percent” in the race for the newly-drawn CD2 in the regular November election.

“It’s going to be a long haul,” he said. “This is a unprecedented situation: Running for two congressional seats at the same time. We’re going to have four election in less than a year. It’s going to be tiring, it’s going to be tough, but I’m there, and I’m going to fight.”

Antenori said he will hold on to his Senate seat at least until the state budget is settled.