Laura Knaperek

This week's Arizona Winners & Losers are now posted.

CD5 Republican candidate Laura Knaperek today announced former Arizona House Majority Leaders Ernie Baird, Lori Daniels and Steve Tully have all endorsed her primary campaign today. Knaperek us seeking the nomination for the right to take on Harry Mitchell.

Last night's CD5 Republican candidate forum offered a different take on the contenders from last month's event in Scottsdale. While the candidates fielded questions on earmark spending, border security and cuts in government programs, what emerged spoke less to individual policies as the sense that whoever emerges as the nominee will shoulder a heavy burden for the Party.

The field acknowledged a profound dissatisfaction with the Republican Party among voters and a need to reconnect with conservative principles in action, not just as a campaign ploy. They also pledged not to let the primary get so heated as to destroy the victor's chances of beating Rep. Harry Mitchell, and that, once the ticket was set, the others would unite behind the effort of unseating Mitchell in the general.

Last week Inside Edge pointed out the curious decision of Susan Bitter Smith to make her formal announcement on a Friday, the day typically set aside to release bad or negative news.  Well now that decision also appears to be have cost her a public appearance with her Republican rivals.  While Mark Anderson, Laura Knaperek, Jim Ogsbury and David Schweikert will be appearing in a CD5 Republican forum being hosted by LD8, Smith will not be invited as she will not be an official candidate until the next day.

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On Thursday, May 8th, the LD8 Republican Committee will be hosting a forum for the CD5 Republicans candidates.  Mark Anderson, Laura Knaperek, Jim Ogsbury, David Schweikert and Susan Bitter Smith will discuss the issues and make their pitches at the Mustang Library in Scottsdale starting at 7pm. 

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Susan Bitter SmithAfter two months of deliberations, Susan Bitter Smith is set to formally announce her entry into the CD5 Republican field. The official rollout will occur on May 9.

Bitter Smith has long been speculated to join the now six-person race for the Republican nomination, and today's news is in line with rumblings that came from the campaign last week to the effect that she was almost assured to enter in early May.

The months-long wait to see if Susan Bitter Smith will join the CD5 Republican primary race is finally wrapping up. A source with an inside perspecive on the exploratory committe said that Bitter Smith is heavily leaning toward jumping in, and a decision will come within days.

Arizona Republican Party Chairman Randy Pullen is optimistic about the chances of Republicans to regain lost ground against Democrats in the Arizona congressional delegation, he said today on Grover Norquist's radio show. However, he said that key to recapturing CD5 will be a Republican primary that keeps the fighting above the belt.

U.S. Rep Harry Mitchell

So far so good for Rep. Harry Mitchell (D-5). Mitchell, the freshman congressman who four Republican contenders are in a spirited contest to face in November, has outraised his opponents substantially, ending the first quarter of the year with more cash on hand than all of them combined.

Now a new poll indicates that whoever becomes the Republican nominee will not have an easy time unseating Mitchell.