Former Air Force pilot Martha McSally is edging closer to a rematch against Congressman Ron Barber.
While she hasn't made a formal announcement, McSally filed paperwork with the Federal Election Commission for a 2014 congressional campaign on Monday, July 1.
McSally was virtually a political unknown when she announced last year that she wanted to run in a special election for the seat vacated by Gabby Giffords. She came in second in an April four-way GOP primary in the special election to Republican Jesse Kelly, who would go on to lose to Barber in the June special general election.
McSally won the August GOP primary for the regular election cycle in Southern Arizona's newly redrawn Congressional District 2 and nearly defeated Barber in a race that saw the lead move back and forth for 11 days before Barber could declare victory. When all the ballot were counted, Barber won the race by fewer than 2,500 votes.
McSally spokeswoman Kristen Douglas said McSally had not yet decided whether to run but was filing paperwork to remain compliant with FEC rules and regulations.
In other congressional news: State Rep. Adam Kwasman, who is halfway through his first term representing Oro Valley, announced today that he was forming an exploratory committee to challenge Congresswoman Ann Kirkpatrick.
Kirkpatrick narrowly won her district last year against former state lawmaker Jonathan Paton in the sprawling Congressional District 1, which stretches from northern Pima County all the way to Flagstaff and includes most of the rural eastern half of the state.
Before his election to the legislature last year, Kwasman managed Jesse Kelly's 2010 campaign against Gabby Giffords.
Kwasman will have to decide whether to remain in the Legislature or resign to concentrate on his campaign.
Among the other rumored candidates in CD1: Pinal County Sheriff Paul Babeu, who dropped out of his congressional campaign in 2012, and Gaither Martin, who lost in the GOP primary to Paton last year.
Kwasman did not return a phone call from the Weekly.
