As we predicted in this week’s Skinny column, Arizona House Speaker Andy Tobin announced today that he wants to challenge Congresswoman Ann Kirkpatrick in Congressional District 1.
Tobin, who lives near but not in CD1, blamed Kirkpatrick for the ongoing government shutdown—and in particular, for the current “closed” sign at the Grand Canyon.
“There could be no harsher reminder of why we need new leadership in Washington,” Tobin said in a press release. “Arizona is under attack by the federal government, and Ann Kirkpatrick is part of the problem. Kirkpatrick is so committed to protecting ObamaCare and supporting Nancy Pelosi, she has literally voted to shut down the Grand Canyon.”
Tobin said he was “just sick of Washington, D.C.”
To save you the trouble of clicking the link to the Skinny, here’s what we wrote this week:
The Skinny hears that House Speaker Andy Tobin is getting closer to announcing a run for the U.S. House of Representatives in Congressional District 1, the sprawling rural district that stretches from Oro Valley across the eastern half of the state and takes in Flagstaff, as well as several of the state’s Native American reservations.
Tobin’s entrance into the race is likely to be bad news for state Rep. Adam Kwasman, who announced his own plans to run for the seat earlier this year.
Tobin has had a longer political career (Kwasman was only elected to the state House in 2012) and would probably have an easier time raising money.
But both state lawmakers have to deal with a wild card: Rancher and oilman Gary Kiehne, who announced his plans to run last month. Kiehne is a political newcomer, but we hear he has deep pockets and can self-fund a campaign.
CD1 is now represented by Democratic Congresswoman Ann Kirkpatrick, who won a close race against Republican Jonathan Paton last year. While the district has Democratic edge, some of those Democrats are conservative rural types who might cross over for the right GOP candidate, so it’s a competitive district.
Here’s the press release from Team Tobin:
Arizona House Speaker Andy Tobin announced his candidacy for U.S. Congress today, calling out Democrat Ann Kirkpatrick for voting to close down the Grand Canyon this week in order to protect ObamaCare (H.J. Res. 70, Oct. 1, 2013). The vote is just another example, Tobin said, of Washington’s assault on Arizona.
“There could be no harsher reminder of why we need new leadership in Washington,” Tobin said. “Arizona is under attack by the federal government, and Ann Kirkpatrick is part of the problem. Kirkpatrick is so committed to protecting ObamaCare and supporting Nancy Pelosi, she has literally voted to shut down the Grand Canyon.”
Tobin’s remarks came as he announced his candidacy for Congress in Arizona’s 1st Congressional District, launched www.AndyTobin.com and released a web video. Tobin plans to continue visiting every corner of the vast district in the days, weeks and months ahead.
“The truth is, I’m just sick of Washington, D.C.,” Tobin said. “From ObamaCare to over regulation of our small businesses and our lives, it’s clear that President Obama and Ann Kirkpatrick are totally out-of-touch with rural Arizonans. In Congress, I’ll stand for the same conservative principles I always have and fight back against Washington’s assault on our state.”
ABOUT ANDY TOBIN:
Andy Tobin is a dad, husband and small business owner who has devoted his life to job creation, public service and advocating for conservative principles. Tobin has built successful careers in the real estate, banking and insurance industries, creating jobs and helping small businesses grow and expand.
Tobin has been elected four times to represent rural Arizona in the Legislature since 2007. As Speaker of the House, he has overseen the largest budget reductions in the history of Arizona and led the fight against ObamaCare in Arizona.
Tobin and his wife Jennifer have five children.
This article appears in Oct 3-9, 2013.
Andy Tobin, blaming the hostages for their dilemma. If they want to make changes to the ACA they should bring a bill before the Congress to do so, that’s the way the Congress is supposed to work, per the Constitution. The ACA is a large and ambitious program and probably will need some tweaks, but holding the country hostage isn’t the way civilized societies work. No change to the US healthcare “system” is not an option, one of the worst in the industrialized world, on a par with Egypt’s.
Ten days ago I sent this message to Andy Tobin:
“Andy,
Having once been mildly chastised by you for using somewhat intemperate language in an email exchange on some policy issue, I can hardly believe that you have said publicly that the President of the United States ‘hates America’. Tell me it isn’t so. Please. And if you’ve been quoted correctly, don’t you think you owe Mr. Obama and the majority of the electorate who have twice entrusted the presidency to him an equally public apology?
Thanks in advance for your response and apology.”
I have yet to hear from Andy.
Tobin so hates Washington, D.C., that he want you to vote to send him there. If you do, one more irresponsible vote to eliminate effective national government.
If he doesn’t live in CD 1 how can he run to represent those in that district? Moving there now is equivalent to a carpetbagger from just after the Civil War.