A week before Congesswoman Gabrielle Giffords was shot while doing her first Congress on Your Corner of her third term, we mentioned in The Skinny that we’d heard rumblings that Republican Jesse Kelly was preparing to announce his plans to challenge her to a rematch.
Kasie Hunt of Politico catches up with the latest news about Kelly:
The day before the tragic shooting of Democratic Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, the Republican she defeated in November sent invitations to an event announcing his intention to pursue a rematch against her in 2012.
“We have unfinished business here in southern Arizona. It’s time to finish what we started,” the e-mail flier to top donors in Tucson, Ariz., read. “I am running for Congress again, and I am asking you to join me. Early contributions will allow us to focus for two years on unseating Gabrielle Giffords!”
After the shooting, Jesse Kelly immediately canceled the reception at Skyline Country Club. But the extreme sensitivities surrounding any discussion about politics in the wake of the tragedy have left his campaign in limbo, freezing what was likely to be one of the more competitive contests of the election cycle.
Kelly, who lost by roughly 4,000 votes last year, declined comment. But within Arizona political circles, as the shock and grief of the Jan. 8 shootings begin to dissipate, the status of Kelly’s bid — and when and how he might re-engage appropriately — is a topic of no small amount of interest.
Another tidbit:
Kelly has gone ahead with other arrangements he’d made to remain in the public eye in the Tucson-based 8th District — including appearing in an ad campaign for his new employer, the nonprofit religious group Vision360, that aired on conservative radio for two weeks in January.
“I’m Jesse Kelly,” he says at the ad’s conclusion, after an announcement promoting Religious Freedom Day, observed Jan. 16.
Soon, he’ll start hosting Spotlight Arizona, a show sponsored by Vision360, on a Tucson talk radio station.
Read the whole thing here.
It appears that Kelly has left behind his job in the family construction business to become a full-time politician.
That’s a big change for a guy who issued this boast in our first conversation with him: “I’m not a politician, period.”
This article appears in Jan 20-26, 2011.
Eff off Jesse. Giffords will gain even more support in the wake of her shooting.
“Vision360 is a multi/non-denominational ministry committed to seeing transformational churches started. Our mission statement is to serve and empower a collaborative church planting community in 500 global cities by 2025. The goal is to see at least 50 cities across the United States impacted by this ministry with at least 1,000 churches started.”
So Jesse Kelly working for a faith-based organization somehow makes him a full-time politician. Only in Nintzel’s world!
I cannot believe this guy has the nerve to even stick his head out of the hole he should be hiding in. He is among the worst of the worst and helped to give Tucson our most terrible moment ever. I’m ashamed for/about him. Tucson does not need him or his type of talk. We are far better than that. And to think that he even is close to any religion is stretching the imagination way to far. There is not a compassionate bone in his body. Go back to construction. Since he has a family business to fall back on, he is far more lucky than most construction people and certainly far more lucky than he deserves to be. no more politics for this guy!
How does that NOT make him a politician Nidan?? Vision360 is an overtly political group… and Kelly is an uneducated carpetbagging opportunist.
jesse kelly is an insult to the integrity of the political system.He reminds me of the jerkoff named boehner who would not fly to tucson with the president of the united states after being invited to fly on air force one because he wanted to attend a cocktail party to raise funds.He is the majority leader of all congressmen and giffords is one his congress people. How insensitive and cruel is that?. doessnt that remind you of jesse kelly?
Speaking of Jesse Kelly and 4-Tucson/Vision 360, expect Russell Pearce to appoint the CEO of that non-profit org, Richard Stertz to the Arizona Redistricting Commission when his turn comes up in the next week or two.
jesse kelly needs go crawl back under the rock in Montana from whence he came.
NidanGoju: We don’t agree on much politically, but before today, I never imagined you were naive when it comes to politics.
First of all, from Vision360’s own Web site: “Although reconciliation with other people is not reconciliation with God, nor is social action evangelism, nor is political liberation salvation, nevertheless we affirm that evangelism and socio-political involvement are both part of our Christian duty.”
http://www.vision360.org/contentpages.aspx…
That sounds like political engagement to me.
Secondly, you might look at the totality of what’s going on here. Jesse Kelly was preparing himself for a rematch against Giffords, as the Politico story makes clear. That’s a campaign that’s being launched nearly two years ahead of the election.
Are you really going to make the case that Jesse’s new position, in which he’s cutting radio ads that feature his name, had nothing to do with his plans to run for Congress for the next two years?
I don’t think there’s anything wrong with being a politician. It’s Jesse who has been critical of the idea of professional politicians, even though he clearly aches to have a political career himself.
Nintz,
Thank you for yor response.
Am I naive? Maybe, or perhaps I am just less cynical than you.
What possible reasons, other than politics, could there be for Jesse Kelly being offered a position with Vision 360?
Could it have anything to due with the fact that Mr. Kelly demonstrated in the last campaign that he could effectively assemble an impressive group of motivated volunteers, he could deliver a message through various outlets, and was able to raise funds. All qualities that, it seems to naïve me, would be desirable for Vision 360 to accomplish their primary goal of increased number of churches and boosting weekly attendance at those churches. A mission that, knowing Mr. Kelly as you do that you would agree, would fit with his beliefs.
Would such a position aid a potential candidate seeking public office? Undoubtedly. Is that the primary or secondary motivation? That is the question.
Hey, Marie Kurtz, your cap key is stuck.
A reminder, folks, that “shouting,” or typing in all-caps, is prohibited here at TucsonWeekly.com. Thanks.
Ben Smith on Politico…
January 21, 2011
The Giffords seat
Gabrielle Giffords’ 2010 challenger finds himself in an extremely delicate position, as a forwarded report from Arizona Capitol Reports indicates.
He just canceled his expected announcement of another campaign:
“Everything’s been cancelled. Everything’s on hold. We just don’t want to discuss politics at a time like this,” Kelly’s campaign spokesman, John Ellinwood, said.
But:
Attorney Lee Miller, who serves as legal counsel for the Arizona Republican Party, told our reporter Kelly’s campaign contacted him earlier this week to find out how the seat would be filled if Giffords couldn’t serve….
For a picture of Jesse Kelly, his M16 and a bit on what he is about check out this pic:
http://i1124.photobucket.com/albums/l563/I…
how come Jesse Kelly was taken off wikipedia?
what’s up, don’t want folks to know your background?
Jesse who?
I like Gifford, personally, I just don’t agree with her political view points, particularly, that she opposed S.B. 1070 and voted in favor of Obamacare. I don’t know why everyone is beating up on Jesse Kelly. I saw and heard him several times during the campaign period. I feel he is a very honorable, dedicated veteran and family man who is very sincere in wanting to represent the people, not the party particularly. Gifford votes strictly party, although she claims to be a Blue Dog Democrat. Give the man a break. I think he would make a great representative of the people. 4,000 vote gap is not a whole lot for a first timer.