Vulnerable Republican McSally Draws Democratic Challenger

By Eli Yokley

Posted July 7, 2015 at 6:09pm

Arizona state Rep. Victoria Steele on Tuesday became the first Democrat to launch a campaign against Rep. Martha McSally, who represents one of the districts that has national Republicans worried most.

Steele, a former television and radio news broadcaster from Tucson, said in a post on her campaign website that she hoped to “build on the legacies” of the Democrats who held the seat until 2015, including Reps. Ron Barber and Gabrielle Giffords. “I’m running for Congress because today the deck is stacked in favor of those at the top — they’ve broken that promise of the American Dream. We need to return to that promise of opportunity for all Americans,” Steele wrote .

McSally, whose campaign announced Monday that she had raised $1 million in the second quarter of 2015, was elected last year in one of the closest races in the country, beating Barber by fewer than 200 votes.

Earlier this month, EMILY’s List, which backs Democratic women seeking public office, put McSally “on notice” for her support of anti-abortion rights policies — a sign the group may play against her in her re-election effort.

Prior to that, the National Republican Congressional Committee added McSally to its Patriot Program, which supports and protects vulnerable incumbents.

The race for the Arizona’s 2nd Congressional District Leans Republican , according to the Rothenberg & Gonzales Political Report /Roll Call.