Ken Bennett

Arizona Corporation Commissioner and one-time prospective congressional candidate Kris Mayes has thrown her support behind Sandra Livingstone in the 1st Congressional District Republican primary.

"Dr. Sandra Livingstone understands the critical energy and water issues facing Arizona," said Mayes, "and has the training and knowledge to put practical solutions to work for Arizona. She's the candidate who's best suited to go to Washington on our behalf and help America achieve energy independence. I enthusiastically endorse Dr. Sandra Livingstone's candidacy and look forward to working on her behalf to help her win in September and November."

Mayes, who formed an exploratory committee in February when she was herself considering a run in the 1st district, becomes the second person the Republican Party attempted to recruit in the race who is now backing Livingstone over rival Sydney Hay. Former state Senate President Ken Bennett, who was also unsuccessfully recruited by the GOP to challenge Hay in the primary, endorsed Livingstone Aug. 1. 

Dr. Sandra Livingstone entered the race for AZ-1 congressional campaign very late, and she came in as a complete unknown.  Livingstone is wasting no time picking up some key endorsements within the district though.  Earlier this week Livingstone picked up a key business endorsement when the Prescott Chamber of Commerce endorsed her campaign.  Now former state Senate President, and often rumored candidate for the seat, Ken Bennett has come out and endorsed Livingstone.  Livingstone faces Sydney Hay in the September Primary.  Hay has been endorsed by Congressman Jeff Flake, Trent Franks and John Shadegg.

PRESCOTT -- Wednesday night, residents of the 1st Congressional District gathered to hear Republican candidate Dr. Sandra Livingstone inside her campaign headquarters, which occupy the corner of an office building that overlooks Courthouse Square.

Livingstone, who is challenging Republican Party-backed Syndey Hay and other candidates in the primary, filed her candidacy just before the June 4 deadline, and flew under the radar until her Federal Election Commission report came out, showing she had near-parity with Hay in cash on hand. Her June fundraising came in at $4,725 - well behind Hay's quarterly take of about $95,000 - but she has put up $200,000 of her own money, meaning she is very much in the race from a money perspective.

Around 20 people, mainly senior citizens, showed up for the Livingstone town hall, where they heard her discuss Second Amendment rights, energy policy and her recommendations for bringing the nation's finances under control.

Sydney Hay has heard it all, she is too conservative, she can’t raise the money, she won’t be able to attract Independent voters, she won’t be able to withstand the Republican establishment once they find a candidate. Well here she is, almost certainly on her way to the Republican nomination in Arizona’s First Congressional District.

After two weeks of deliberation, former State Senate President Ken Bennett has decided he will not seek the Republican nomination to the CD1 seat being vacated by Rep. Rick Renzi. That leaves Sydney Hay and Preston Korn still the only challengers to the eventual Democratic nominee.

Stuart Rothenberg of the Rothenberg Political Report has the latest House ratings. Of the races that are up for grabs Arizona has three that have made the competitive grade.

Rothenberg lists CD1 as a pure toss-up. AZ’s CD1 is one of only 15 pure toss-up districts in the country which will mean lots of national attention from both sides.

Former Senate President Ken Bennett is still considering if he wants to take a shot at the open 1st CD seat.  Since it became public he is reconsidering if he wants to make the leap or not he has been getting a steady dose of Emily Bittner and the Arizona Democratic Party.  In the latest installment attacking Bennett the Democratic party goes after Bennett for his comments to Arizona’s Yellow Sheet