Republican Congressmen Ben Quayle and David Schweikert met in a candidate forum in Scottsdale. They are facing each other in Arizona's Aug. 28 Republican primary, they're vying for the right to represent Arizona's 6th Congressional District. Both men are incumbent freshmen Congressmen. They were thrown into the same district during the redistricting process after the 2010 census. Both men are conservatives courting the Tea Party vote.

One of the most interesting election races of the fall is going to take place this summer in Arizona's 6th Congressional District. The recently concluded redistricting process has thrown Rep David Schweikert and Rep Ben Quayle, both conservative Republican freshmen Congressmen, into the same district. Both men are running to represent the district in Washington. It's an overwhelmingly Republican District and who ever wins the Aug. 28 primary will, in all likelihood, win in November's general election. It promises to be a fun race to watch.

Dr. Richard Carmona, a former US Surgeon General, is running for the US Senate seat being vacated by retiring Republican Sen. Jon Kyl. Carmona, a Democrat, is facing a tough race against Congressman Jeff Flake. Carmona campaigned Saturday, Sept. 8 in Surprise, AZ.

Dr. Richard Carmona, a Special Forces veteran of the Vietnam War, a former Surgeon General, a former member of a police SWAT team and a retired college professor is an Arizona Democrat running for the US Senate. He campaigned at an American Legion hall in Phoenix Thursday.

JD Hayworth is a former television sports anchor, a former Republican Congressman from the Phoenix suburbs and a former right wing talk radio host. He hopes to be a current US Senator and is running a primary battle against long serving incumbent US Senator John McCain, who has represented Arizona in Washington since 1982. McCain has a reputation as a maverick Republican (for example, he's sponsored climate change and immigration reform legislation) who occasionally reaches "across the aisle" to Democrats. Hayworth is an unapologetic take no prisoners hard core conservative, a darling of the very far right wing and tea party movement. The two men dislike each other intensely. The campaign promises to be the most interesting battle of the 2010 election season. Not just in Arizona, but also nationally. I have covered both men in Arizona for years. Search my archive for more photos.

Long serving US Sen John McCain (R-AZ) has spent most of the spring in the reelection campaign of his life. He's being challenged by arch conservative JD Hayworth, a former Congressman, former sports broadcaster and former talk radio host. Hayworth used to represent Arizona's 6th CD, but was defeated by moderate Democrat Harry Mitchell in 2006. The campaign has been spirited with mud being flung by both sides. But in the end, McCain's TV spots, which painted Hayworth as a big spending TV huckster proved hard to overcome. Hayworth is expected to lose.

Congresswoman Michele Bachmann (R-AZ) visited the Mint in Scottsdale for a fundraiser and speaking engagement at a Politics on the Rocks event. "Politics on the Rocks" brings Republican & Conservative Professionals together in a monthly happy hour where they can network, socialize, and hear directly from prominent politicians and successful business leaders. Several hundred people attend the event.

Mitt Romney was the first GOP Presidential candidate to bring the campaign to a public event in Arizona when his campaign for the 2012 Republican Presidential nomination visited Sun Lakes Wednesday. Sun Lakes is an upper middle class retirement community on the south east edge of the Phoenix area. He spoke for about 30 minutes criticizing the Obama administration and then took questions from the audience for about 30 minutes. He promised to repeal the health care reform bill passed by Congress a couple of years ago, reduce taxes, strengthen the military and create jobs.

Barry Goldwater is a legend in Arizona political circles. The conservative Goldwater represented Arizona in the US Senate for years. He ran for President in 1964. His name is still invoked in Arizona circles the way Ronald Reagan's is nationally. On Wednesday, members of Barry Goldwater's family "reached across the aisle" and endorsed Richard Carmona, the Democratic candidate for US Senate. Carmona is facing Jeff Flake, a Republican from Mesa, in November's general election for the seat now held by retiring Senator Jon Kyl. Whoever wins will occupy the seat once held by Barry Goldwater.

Mitt Romney made at least his second campaign stop in Arizona this afternoon. He came to the Hermosa Inn, a small boutique hotel in Paradise Valley, to announce that he was being endorsed by former Vice President Dan Quayle, a PV resident since his retirement from politics.

Sarah Palin, the former Republican Vice Presidential candidate and former Governor of Alaska, came to Gilbert, AZ, a suburb of Phoenix, to campaign for Kirk Adams, a Republican candidate for Congress. She also campaigned for other Tea Party leaning Republicans, including Jeff Flake, who is running for Senate, and incumbent Congressman Paul Gosar. Palin made a short speech before helping serve barbecue with Adams at a restaurant in Gilbert.

Wil Cardon is an upstart Republican challenging Jeff Flake, the long serving Republican from the east valley suburbs of Phoenix, for the US Senate seat being vacated by Sen Jon Kyl (R-AZ). It's an interesting race to follow because both men are very conservative and each keeps tacking further to right to appear even more conservative than his opponent. Matt Salmon has been active in Arizona Republican politics for almost 30 years. He served in Congress from 1994 until 2000. He stepped down in 2000 to fulfill a campaign pledge he made to serve only three terms. He then ran for Governor of Arizona and lost an agonizingly close election to Democrat Janet Napolitano (who has gone on to serve as the President's Secretary of Homeland Security). Salmon is running now against Kirk Adams, a former speaker of the Arizona House of Representatives. Cardon and Salmon made a joint campaign appearance at a home in Gilbert Friday night.