Heinz pushes CD8 race with campaign video

Posted Feb 9, 2012

Dylan Smith
TucsonSentinel.com

Heinz

While many Southern Arizona Democrats wait on tenterhooks for the official word that Ron Barber is running to replace Gabrielle Giffords, state Rep. Matt Heinz is moving ahead with his run for the vacant seat.

He released a campaign video Wednesday, saying that Southern Arizona is at "an important crossroads."

"As we look ahead, and we must, we have an important opportunity to honor Gabby's strength, leadership and conviction," he said.

The only declared candidate for the Congressional District 8 seat, Heinz has said that if Barber runs, he will step aside and focus on winning in the newly drawn CD2 in the fall.

That district, created by reapportionment, mostly overlaps CD8, but without the Republican strongholds of Oro Valley and Saddlebrooke.

Heinz, who works as a doctor at Tucson Medical Center, is a Detroit native.

He has served in the Legislature since 2009.

Still looking at runs for the vacant seat are state Rep. Steve Farley and state Sen. Paula Aboud. While Barber is likely to run as a placeholder and be endorsed by Giffords, he has yet to announce his candidacy.