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David Nolan, who helped found the Libertarian Party in his Denver home and watched it grow into a force with national influence, died unexpectedly Sunday. The Tucson resident was 66. Nolan, whose friends described him as a "guiding light" of the Libertarian Party, opposed expansive government and had pledged to abolish personal income taxes if elected to office. In 2006, Nolan unsuccessfully ran against Gabrielle Giffords for a seat in Arizona's 8th Congressional District. This year, he challenged John McCain for his Senate seat and racked up 63,000 votes - in a state with only 24,000 registered Libertarians. "Dave was...

WASHINGTON -- John McCain is returning to the Senate for another six years. The four-term Republican, his party's presidential candidate two years ago, defeated Democrat Rodney Glassman in Arizona.

Sen. John McCain delivered a rousing endorsement Friday of Republican Senate candidate Sharron Angle and urged cheering supporters to send her to Washington as part of a historic turnaround in Washington power. A confident-sounding Angle, locked in a tight race with Majority Leader Harry Reid, predicted "there is going to be shock and awe in Washington" on Nov. 3, the day after the election. "We need to take back our economy," she said. "It's our government and it's our money." McCain, the 2008 presidential nominee, told the crowd at a Las Vegas casino that the "election will change America. The...

I have always been a fan of voting on Election Day as is stated in the Arizona Constitution. But since the state has adopted (illegally?) early balloting and the election is so complex I decided to get an early ballot and carefully fill it out. I also got the NRA recommendations in which they grade candidates for office. One blood pressure elevator was their recommendation to vote for Rep. Nancy Barto for state senate. I know NRA looks at one thing, where a candidate stands on the second amendment. You would think they would have a method to see if...

Confirming indications of a building Republican "wave" this fall, polls now show Democrat Rep. Raul Grijalva in a dead-heat with his little-known challenger in Arizona's 7th District. Politico reports that the Congressional Hispanic Caucus is now directing campaign cash to help Grijalva against insurgent GOP candidate Ruth McClung. A big part of Grijalva's problem is that earlier this year, the incumbent Democrat joined those calling for a boycott of Arizona after the state passed a tough law aimed at curbing illegal immigration. Grijalva may have expected that stance would endear him with voters in the 7th District -- where about...

Go to http://www.votejessekelly.com for more information. Jesse Kelly supports the double border fence, workplace enforcement, and adding more Border Patrol agents. Kelly will oppose amnesty. Gabrielle Giffords opposes SB 1070, Giffords voted to stop the fence, and Giffords is for amnesty.

PHOENIX (AP) — Republican Sen. John McCain framed the porousness of America's borders as both a national security concern and a human rights issue Sunday in the only scheduled general election debate in Arizona's U.S. Senate race. McCain noted politicians in Mexico have been targeted by the cartels that are smuggling drugs into the United States and that hundreds of illegal immigrants die in the desert every year trying to sneak into the country. "The brutality and the human rights abuses are beyond horrendous," McCain said.

U.S. Sen. John McCain launched a 60-second, Spanish-language radio ad Friday, saying he’s working against higher taxes, to help rebuild the economy and protecting Arizona’s military bases. The ad comes as McCain and three challengers vying for his seat — including former Tucson City Councilman Rodney Glassman — face off Sunday in a televised debate, which is expected to be the only one this election cycle. The debate, held in Phoenix, begins at 6 p.m. and will be televised live on KTTU Channel 18 in Tucson. (snip) Here’s the English translation: These are tough times in Arizona. Takes strong men...

If there was ever any question about the REAL CHANGE that is coming, just look at Jesse Kelly, a young Marine who faced a Republican-establishment candidate in Tuesday’s primary and won. Our PAC, WarriorsforCongress.com, wasn’t listening to the establishment. We didn’t care that the money was against Jesse Kelly. “No, we can’t help him. He won’t win.” That’s what we were told by “establishment” folks when we asked them to help Jesse. We knew better. Jesse Kelly is a Warrior. We looked at him and saw a man who put his life on the line for our Constitution. We saw...

J.D. Hayworth gives a very classy concession Reagan-like speech to his conservative supporters. 7 minutes.

Good news for those of you who where down in the dumps in Arizona over your Senate primary - there were in fact other big primaries on the ballot and conservative Jesse Kelly won in the Arizona House District 8. KELLY, JESSE 32,152 MILLER, BRIAN 5,193 PATON, JONATHAN 26,431 QUICK, JAY 1,421 Write-in 175 So please cheer up - you have an excellent candidate that needs your help in that district - forget about McCain - he can sink or swim on his own - he may be a pain in the future but we can't worry about that right...

PHOENIX -- Sen. John McCain expressed confidence he will win a fifth term as he dropped off his primary election ballot at a polling place in uptown Phoenix Tuesday morning. McCain, accompanied by his wife Cindy, arrived at Madison Camelview Elementary School a few hours after the polls opened. He spoke briefly to reporters: "It isn't over until it's over. We're looking forward to moving forward after tonight to the general election and working just as hard as we did in the primary and taking nothing for granted."

PHOENIX -- For the first time in state history, Arizona is holding its primary elections in August. Experts predict between 20 and 25 percent of registered voters will go to the polls before they close at 7 p.m. Tuesday. They think the heat and humidity, which have put the Valley under an extreme heat warning, will keep some people home. "That certainly is going to discourage people from going to the polls," said Maricopa County Recorder Helen Purcell. News/Radio 92.3 KTAR's Jim Cross, out and about as the polls opened at 6 a.m., found illegal immigration and SB1070, the state's...

Results TBD 08/24/2010 Late PM PDT/MST.

Link only, per FR posting guidelines

Tuesday's primaries in Arizona and Florida appear likely to deliver a few surprises -- surprises, that is, for anyone who accepted the conventional wisdom of just a few months ago. Back then, Arizona Sen. John McCain (R) was considered in danger of becoming the next victim of a tea party uprising that was threatening Republican candidates who were seen as straying from conservative orthodoxy. In what was taken as a sign of his nervousness, he brought in his 2008 vice presidential running mate, Sarah Palin, who vouched for his conservative bona fides. Now he enjoys a double-digit lead in the...

John McCain holds a comfortable lead in the contentious Arizona Republican Senate primary, according to the most recent public polling, making him the strong favorite against former Rep. J.D. Hayworth on Tuesday. But it’s been a costly road to a fifth term for the 2008 GOP presidential nominee, and the experience is likely to leave a lasting and unsightly stain on his legacy. It’s not just the $20 million he’s spent already this election or the scorched earth campaign that he’s run. Rather, it’s the choices he’s made and the positions he’s embraced — and what it reveals about him...

OK, so before I get started I have to tell everyone here that JD Hayworth reads what we post here. And he REMEMBERS! LOL! I am a JD supporter, and several months ago when I met him for the first time, he told me he likes to come here to FreeRepublic and read what we have to say. I was going to have him come here, but I never followed through, which was my fault. However, I have been hard on him in recent weeks. I have to say that because Mohave County, where I live, is so conservative, conservative...

TUCSON, Ariz. — No one will ever accuse Jesse Kelly of bringing weak tea to the party. The conservative 29-year-old Marine combat veteran and tea party favorite made waves this week when a video of him criticizing Sarah Palin's endorsements of "people who will sell our principles down the river" surfaced and caused a stir. The brief moment of national notoriety notwithstanding, Kelly is surging at the end of the 8th District GOP primary campaign here, largely on the strength of an impressive grassroots organization and a cocky, free-wheeling style that contrasts sharply with that of the more measured, more...

The whispers in the spring were that Sen. John McCain, the Republican Party's presidential candidate in 2008, was vulnerable to an upset from the right when he sought reelection to the Senate this year. Now, in the home stretch toward Arizona’s primary election on Tuesday, such talk has largely faded.   -SNIP-   Like Hayworth, there are others who don't buy the notion that McCain has given up on enacting comprehensive immigration reform, which includes a path to citizenship for some illegal immigrants. For instance, Americans for Legal Immigration political action committee (ALIPAC) announced Thursday it’s mobilizing a network of...

Sen. John McCain was once one of the major Republican supporters of immigration reform, arguing for comprehensive legislation as recently as 2008. Faced with accusations of supporting amnesty for illegal immigrants, McCain has moved to a much tougher immigration stance during his Republican primary. But after the primary vote next Tuesday, will the old McCain come back? The winner of the GOP primary in Arizona is likely to have a straight shot to the Senate seat, NPR reported yesterday. But first McCain must beat opponent J.D. Hayworth, a former congressman who has attacked McCain for his previous support of immigration...

Next week, Arizona voters have a chance to do something really important for the Republican Party. Eliminate a key RINO (Republican in Name Only) and clean out some deadwood in the United States Senate. John McCain has been a major stumbling block for conservatives for decades. In an interview with Glenn Beck, Rick Santorum said this about his former colleague: "On almost every major domestic policy issue that I dealt with over the last six years anyway when I was in leadership of the Senate, John McCain was not just on the other side ... (he was) condemning people who...

(CNN) - At a Tea Party rally Sunday on the U.S.-Mexico border in support of tough immigration laws, Arizona Senate candidate J.D. Hayworth slammed his opponent, Arizona Sen. John McCain, and turned McCain's words back on the veteran senator. On a ranch in Hereford, Arizona, and with the border fence visible several hundred yards behind him, Hayworth also praised Arizona's new immigration law that was signed by the state's governor, who has spent the last two days campaigning with McCain. Pulling a word from a McCain letter on immigration which first surfaced in April, Hayworth said it was time to...

In a rapid turnaround trying to capitalize on a J.D Hayworth comment at a tea party rally earlier this week, U.S. Sen. John McCain released a new web video drumming Hayworth for reportedly preferring President Obama to the Republican incumbent senator. The video begins with a picture of President Obama and lists a litany of criticisms, from the 9.5 percent unemployment rate, to the $13 trillion national debt and the lawsuit against Arizona’s immigration law. The text interrupts with, “but J.D. says he’d rather have Barack Obama as president.”

<p>PHOENIX (AP) - Both were once considered vulnerable but recently have found stronger footing in their Republican primary races.</p> <p>Now, Arizona Sen. John McCain and Gov. Jan Brewer will campaign together at six events in five communities on Friday and Saturday.</p>

Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) expressed concern on Tuesday for his pal Snooki Pallozzi after the "Jersey Shore" star was arrested last week for disorderly conduct on a Seaside, N.J., public beach. The senator was speaking to a radio host of KTAR Radio in Arizona, who asked McCain what his thoughts were on Snooki's arrest. The raunchy reality star was held in jail for a few hours, then released.

PHOENIX (AP) - John McCain's Republican primary challenger suggests the country would be worse off had McCain won the 2008 presidential election. (snip) Responding to a question from the audience at a Phoenix tea party meeting Monday, Hayworth says he doesn't like President Barack Obama, but a moderate Republican would be even worse than the Democrat. Speaking of the Arizona senator, Hayworth says: "I think the last thing we needed was a progressive trying to wear a Republican cloth coat as president of the United States."

Timely use of campaign funds to buy advertising could be the key to overcoming incumbent John McCain's 20-point lead in the race for the Republican nomination, rival Senate candidate J.D. Hayworth said Tuesday in Ahwatukee Foothills. "Our ads are going up as his are coming down," Hayworth said following an appearance at an Ahwatukee Republican Women's club meeting at the Grace Inn, just south of Elliot Road on 51st Street. A Rasmussen Reports poll released Monday indicated McCain was leading Hayworth by a margin of 54-34. Hayworth attracted a crowd of about 80 people to the Tuesday evening event. Hayworth...

Video at YouTube link.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Pam Stevenson, Arizona State Tea Party Coordinator teatime@luckymail.com Arizona Tea Party Groups Stand Together to Endorse JD Hayworth Phoenix, AZ (AUGUST 2) - A coalition of Arizona state-wide, Tea Party and like-minded Conservative groups came together today, to announce they are all endorsing JD Hayworth to be the next United States Senator from Arizona. Lee Earle, member of the conservative, AZ2010 Project group stated, "J.D. has listened to more Arizona citizens than any other candidate." Arizona's state Tea Party Patriots coordinator, Pam Stevenson stated, "There is no question of J.D.'s conservative values. The American Conservative Union...

Sorry for the vanity - but I despise McCain and I want him gone forever! The AZ primary is in only 3 weeks - Aug 24. That's right, we've only got three weeks to retire this Amnesty-pushin, media-whoring, conservative-hating RINO. JD Hayworth needs to put some ads on TV in the next three weeks reminding AZ voters of McCain's history (should they even need reminding?) Do we really want 6 more years of McCain? If you haven't already, head on over to Hayworth's site and drop a donation. Bye McCain.

A coalition of Arizona state-wide, Tea Party and like-minded Conservative groups came together  today, to announce they are all endorsing JD Hayworth to be the next United States Senator from Arizona.    Lee Earle, member of the conservative, AZ2010 Project group stated, "J.D. has listened to more Arizona citizen's than any other candidate." Arizona's state Tea Party Patriots coordinator, Pam Stevenson stated, "There is no question of J.D.'s conservative values. The American Conservative Union gave him a life-time rating of 97.6%." In part, the Groups' joint endorsement reads: There is only one U.S. Senate candidate in Arizona who has put his promises in writing,...

Sen. John McCain reaffirmed his tough position on border issues at a Town Hall event Saturday in Green Valley, saying Congress should not take up comprehensive immigration reform until the U.S.-Mexico border is secure. “I will be glad to look at that situation after we get the border secure,” McCain said.What does a secure border look like? “It’s like a lot of other things,” McCain told a reporter after the meeting. “... You know it when you see it.” McCain said the border would have to be deemed secure by local law enforcement, such as Arizona sheriffs and the governor,...

U.S. Senate candidate Jimmie Lee Deakin, Jr. has more to worry about than siphoning enough votes from conservative U.S. Senate candidate J. D. Hayworth to return John McCain to the halls of power he so covets. It seems Jimmie Lee is facing foreclosure, with his home just noticed – July 29 — for a trustee sale.* During the debates, Deakin made much of the issue of congressional overspending. But how does he intend to effectively rein in government spending when he’s unable to control his own? This news puts a definite damper on Deakin’s credibility. Deakin claims he is a...

GLENDALE, Ariz. – Sen. John McCain hasn't always talked tough on immigration. That haunted his presidential ambitions, and now his political survival hinges on whether he can show that his conversion is genuine. It hasn't been easy. Boycotts, vigils and a legal fight over the state's attempted crackdown on illegal immigrants have kept voters attuned to each nuance in his run for re-election. "Since 2007, I've said we have to secure the border first. I said it in 2008 and 2009 and 2010," McCain told 120 people at a town hall meeting in suburban Phoenix. Leaning against the back wall...

Labor unions oppose the Arizona immigration law because some of them want to legalize then recruit illegals into their ranks, Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) said Wednesday. McCain specifically mentioned the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) as one union that wants to engage in the practice since it represents many people who work in the tourism industry, which he said employs many illegal immigrants. "They want to have them declared legal to recruit them into unions,” he said in an appearance on the conservative Michael Medved radio show.

The four-term incumbent holds a significant lead over his main opponent and appears to be breezing toward a big win in Arizona's Aug. 24 Republican primary. The Arizona Republic newspaper recently summed up the trend, headlining that McCain held a “devastating” lead over his challenger, former GOP Rep. J.D. Hayworth. A July Rocky Mountain poll by the Phoenix-based Behavior Research Center showed McCain with a whopping 64 percent of the vote, compared to 19 percent for Hayworth. Hayworth’s invective against McCain hasn’t been gaining traction with Republican voters. Hayworth has tried to present himself as the tea party candidate. But...

U.S. Sen. John McCain has spent an unprecedented $16 million to date fending off a challenge from former U.S. Congressman J.D. Hayworth. Hayworth, so far, has spent $1.5 million, according to campaign finance reports filed July 15. Hayworth’s spokesman, Mark Sanders, said the expenditure proves Hayworth is such a strong candidate that McCain pulled out all the stops with phone banking, mailers, radio and TV. “I think that the senator was really fearful of losing this race and he decided to just dump as much as he could into it to buy it,” he said. While candidates are allowed to...

Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) spent more than $10M on his primary battle against ex-Rep. J.D. Hayworth (R), according to his 2ndQ campaign finance report, leaving him with a much narrower financial advantage in the GOP primary than he once enjoyed. McCain has spent a total of $15.7M this cycle, according to FEC reports, and he has just $1.78M left to spend before the Aug. 24 GOP primary. Hayworth had $922K in the bank, his reports showed. "Senator McCain takes every campaign seriously, and this race is no exception. Senator McCain is proud of the statewide support he's received from Arizonans,...

A new Rasmussen Reports statewide telephone survey finds Brewer leading Democrat Terry Goddard by a 56% to 37% margin. That’s little changed from a month ago. Just two percent (2%) prefer another candidate while five percent (5%) are undecided. Brewer’s prospects dramatically improved after she signed the much talked about immigration law that has become the subject of a national debate. In Arizona, 65% of voters continue to favor the law while just 27% are opposed. Nationally, most voters would like a similar law in their own state. By a 60% to 34% margin, Arizona voters oppose the Justice Department...

McCain and Hayworth faced off in two debates over the weekend. On July 17, 2010 in Tucson, Arizona a debate hosted by KUAT PBS-6 was intended to be a debate on the issues facing Arizona. But at every opportunity, McCain threw out personal attacks on J.D., including calling him a "pig." This is a far different McCain than the one who debated and campaigned against Obama - and a far cry from what you would expect from a statesman. The reality is, McCain has been attacking J.D. with negative advertisements since before J.D. even entered the race. McCain has spent...

TUCSON (KGUN9-TV) - Senator John McCain's camp is apologizing to Santa Cruz County Sheriff Tony Estrada for an ad running featuring Estrada's name. Sheriff Estrada has come out saying he does not support the senator. McCain's ad features several Arizona sheriff's taking his side. Towards the middle of the ad you see Santa Cruz County Sheriff Tony Estrada's name scroll along the bottom. "I thought it was a mistake. They shouldn't have had that name in there and I did talk to some of the aids for senator McCain and I set the record straight on that I am not...

McCain calls Hayworth a "pig." He desperately defends his flip-flops and record of voting for the billion dollar pork TARP bailouts which included $150 billion in earmarks, co-sponsoring amnesty with Ted Kennedy and cap and trade legislation with Joe Lieberman, and voting against tax cuts twice. Hayworth easily proves that he is much more conservative than McCain on the very things McCain has been attacking him on – pork and earmarks. In their second, and likely final, Senate primary debate, JD Hayworth again easily defeated John McCain. McCain avoided discussing real issues, where he has a record of flip-flopping in...

Former Rep. J.D. Hayworth (R-Ariz.) said Sunday that the Obama administration supports “no enforcement” of immigration law as he defended Arizona’s controversial statute that gives police new powers to question people they suspect are in the country illegally. The Justice Department is suing to block the statute, claiming it illegally preempts federal law. “It should come as no surprise that any number of people who advocate open borders and advocate no enforcement of the law, including this current administration, are trying to throw up these roadblocks,” Hayworth said on the CBS program “Face the Nation.” Hayworth is challenging Sen. John...

TUCSON, Ariz. – Fighting the last war is supposed to be a bad idea. For Sen. John McCain, it might end up being the path to reelection. As he faces a smashmouth Republican primary challenge in the shape of former congressman and radio talk show host J.D. Hayworth, McCain seems to be reliving his 2008 campaign experience--competing with a younger, more charismatic opponent whom he transparently does not like. He’s even still dodging criticism about an aimless and dull presidential campaign. And listening to McCain himself, it’s sometimes hard to tell that he’s not literally still running against Barack Obama.At...

It was apparent last night why McCain has only agreed to participate in two Senate debates with JD Hayworth, because of the awkwardness attempting to explain his flip-flopping back to the right now that it is an election year. Both debates between the two candidates are taking place well into the primary, after McCain has had months to spend $6 million in smear attack ads against JD. $5 million of that was leftover from prior campaigning, including $1.1 million from convicted Ponzi scheme criminal Scott Rothstein - the top contributor to two of his 2008 presidential campaign funds. Unlike other...

Tonight, Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) will debate his primary challengers, former Rep. J.D. Hayworth (R-AZ) and conservative "tea party" activist Jim Deakin in one of only two Republican primary debates. During the one hour debate, Hayworth will likely concentrate on McCain's 28 years in Congress with a focus on his position on immigration. Deakin said he will compare and contrast his approach in representing constituents to the "other two entrenched politicians." A McCain campaign spokesman said that the Senator "looks forward to a spirited discussion on the issues facing Arizonans." The LIVE debate will take place tonight at KTVK-TV...

PHOENIX - In the race for U.S. Senate, J.D. Hayworth is accusing John McCain of flip-flopping on the issue of illegal immigration. Does McCain want border security or a path to citizenship for illegals -- or both? McCain once championed comprehensive immigration reform that would allow people here illegally a path to citizenship. "The present situation with broken borders and 11 million people that are in America without citizenship is unacceptable," he said on the campaign trail. Now McCain says border security must come first before tackling what to do with the 12 million illegals already living in the u.s.....

A new poll shows Arizona Sen. John McCain widening his lead over his Republican challenger ahead of next month's GOP primary. The Rocky Mountain Poll released Wednesday shows McCain leading former U.S. Rep. J.D. Hayworth 64 percent to 19 percent. Political newcomer Jim Deakin had 5 percent. McCain's margin has widened from a 54 percent to 28 percent lead he held over Hayworth in the same poll in April. The telephone poll was conducted by the Behavior Research Center between June 30 and July 11 and has a margin of error of plus or minus 5.4 percentage points. Pollsters surveyed...

PHOENIX -- On Friday, July 16, Sen. John McCain, former U.S. Congressman J.D. Hayworth and conservative hopeful Jim Deakin will face off. The three candidates are vying for the GOP nomination for the U.S. Senate seat currently held by McCain. The debate will take place at KTVK-3TV Studios in Phoenix at 7 p.m and will be simulcast on KTTU in Tucson and azfamily.com. Azfamily.com will also host another live forum giving viewers the opportunity to share their comments and thoughts on the debate in real time as the debate is going on. Another debate is scheduled for July 21 in...