Jesse Kelly to Run in Arizona Special Election
CQ Roll Call File Photo
Jesse Kelly, who narrowly lost to Rep. Gabrielle Giffords in 2010, will run in the special election to succeed her.
Jesse Kelly, who narrowly lost to Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D) in 2010, is running again in the upcoming 8th district special election, according to two sources.
“I would say an announcement is imminent,” said an insider close to the Iraq War veteran.
Giffords beat Kelly by only 2 points in 2010, in what was an overall terrible political climate for Democrats.
Another source close to Kelly described Giffords as the strongest possible Democratic candidate and indicated Democrats would have difficulty finding a nominee with her charm, name identification and fundraising prowess.
Giffords, who was shot in the head during an assassination attempt in January 2011, is resigning from the House this week to focus on her recovery. A special primary and general election will be held to fill the vacancy.
Correction: Jan. 25, 2012
An earlier version of this article gave an incorrect year for when Giffords was shot. She was shot in January 2011.
