If Pinal County sheriff Paul Babeu decides to run for an open seat in Arizona’s 1st Congressional District, one poll says he is the early favorite among Republican hopefuls.
Last Tuesday, the person who currently holds the CD1 seat, Rep. Ann Kirkpatrick (D-Flagstaff), announced she will challenge Sen. John McCain (R-Arizona) for his U.S. Senate seat next year.
Kirkpatrick’s departure, and the subsequent open seat, creates a free-for-all in CD1 – one of the most competitive Congressional districts in America.
Andy Tobin, former Arizona Speaker of the House, won a hotly contested Republican primary in 2014 before narrowly defeated by Kirkpatrick in the general election.