NewsData

Actions

Arpaio, Sinema and now McSally: Candidates vying for Sen. Jeff Flake's seat

Posted at 3:07 PM, Jan 09, 2018
and last updated 2018-01-17 12:57:13-05

Another well-known politician threw her hat into the candidacy for Sen. Flake's seat.

Republican State Rep. Martha McSally announced her candidacy for U.S. Senate on January 12, and now appears to have officially filed with Federal Election Commission.

Former Sheriff Joe Arpaio announced his bid for Sen. Jeff Flake's seat earlier in the week, on Tuesday.

Currently, a total of 12 candidates have officially filed with the FEC.

Although Arpaio has announced their intentions to run, both have yet to officially file with the FEC, according to their website.

Take a look at each of the official candidates listed below:

Deedra Abboud (D): Abboud is an attorney in Phoenix who is originally from Arkansas, according to her campaign website. Some of the policy topics that Abboud focuses on include healthcare, education, the separation of church and state, and net neutrality.

Bob Bishop (D): According to a biography from his senate website, Bishop is a test and airshow pilot that grew up in Phoenix and lives in Tucson. He considers himself a "compassionate capitalist."

Craig Brittain (R): According to his campaign website, Brittain lists himself as a technology entrepreneur and CEO. Brittain is also known as the founder of a controversial revenge porn website. Some of Brittain's focuses include veteran support, gun ownership rights, and removing the Federal Reserve.

Christian Diegel (R): Diegel, a veteran and businessman, believes that taxpayers should be held accountable and that the "role of government should be limited," according to his campaign website.

Cheryl "Che' " Fowler (D): Fowler is a local healthcare professional and Army veteran, according to her campaign website. Her issue focuses include healthcare, women's rights, gun control, and more.

Doug Marks (L): Marks is a Libertarian candidate for Flake's Senate seat, who previously made a run for a seat as a Libertarian in Illinois. According to his Facebook page, Marks is "fed up with the over-stepping over-burdening intrusive government that forces its way into every aspect of people’s lives."

Martha McSally (R): McSally is currently a U.S. Representative for the state's second district and is a former U.S. Air Force pilot. Some of her key issues, as laid out in a promotional video on her campaign website, include supporting the troops and protecting jobs in Arizona.

Jim Moss (D): The 62-year-old political newcomer is embracing the progressive political platform championed by Sen. Bernie Sanders. He says he won't take corporate cash and will push for higher minimum wages, advocate for health care security, and protect Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid.

Chris Russell (D): According to his campaign website, Russell is an Army veteran who has a focus towards ending "blind loyalty" with political parties. 

Kyrsten Sinema (D): Sinema currently represents Arizona's 9th Congressional District. In a YouTube video, Sinema said, "It's time to put our country ahead of party, ahead of politics." At the time of her announcement, Sinema released a statement explaining that she's hoping to be an advocate for everyone.

Nicholas Tutora (R): Tutora was raised in New York and is a single father of two children, who has many Republican-aligned focuses, including the nation's immigration system and support for the Second Amendment.

Kelli Ward (R): Ward attempted to dethrone John McCain for his Senate seat in 2015 but failed to win the votes. Some of Ward's focuses, according to her campaign website, include border security, repealing the Affordable Care Act, and fixing the VA system. She announced her bid for the seat in October.