Ben Quayle, David Schweikert To Face Off In Arizona GOP Primary

Rep. Ben Quayle (R-Ariz.) announced Monday that he will switch congressional districts and run against Rep. David Schweikert (R-Ariz.), setting up a GOP primary between the two freshmen lawmakers.

"The work of Arizona's redistricting commission has placed many people in difficult positions, but at the end of the day my choice is to continue representing the people I represent today," said Quayle in a statement. "The large majority of them are in District 6, and their values are my values."

Quayle, the son of former Vice President Dan Quayle, was drawn into the 9th District, created to account for population growth. That district is likely to be competitive. The Republican-leaning 6th, where Schweikert lives, contains just under two-thirds of Quayle's current constituents, according to an Arizona Republic analysis.

Schweikert's campaign spokesman, Chris Baker, responded to the decision in a statement, saying, "The United States Constitution allows candidates for the U.S. House of Representatives to run wherever they choose without regard to residency." He added, "While it is unfortunate for Republicans that Congressman Quayle has decided to abandon his own district to run in Congressman Schweikert’s district, we are confident based upon our polling and the incredibly positive response we have received to David’s candidacy, that David will prevail in this primary."

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Comments

[John Nail]

09:13 PM on 02/08/2012

Can he spell better than his father?

[KeyInfo]

12:18 PM on 02/08/2012

I thought a Qualye was a bird not a Legislator. There should be no person representing the American people with a name like Qualye. I thought we all learned our lesson from Dan Qualye.

[Horus45]

11:58 AM on 02/08/2012

This is After he went crying to his mommy about this, his mommy then went to Arizona Governor Jan (Old Saddlebags) Brewer to implore her to do something about it. What did Old Saddlebags do? She fired the Chair of the state's independent redistricting commission to prevent the new maps from being used, which created an uproar in the state and a Supreme Court challenge which eventually led to the reinstatement of Colleen Mathis and the maps were used.

Republicans hate the Redistricting Committee, but it was Republicans who fought hard for the committee's creation.
They insisted on having the committee to do the redistricting because at the time Janet Napolitano was our Governor and they did not want a Democrat in charge of redistricting the state, now they hate it.

btw... I just coined the Proper adjective, 'Old Saddlebags' for referring to Jan Brewer, if you are looking for attribution.

[Hoosierbrad]

11:06 AM on 02/08/2012

Well, we can be assured that one tea bagger will not be back.

[dfranz]

10:46 AM on 02/08/2012

Eventually Arizona politics will be forced to change. The Hispanic population there is the fastest growing segment there. Republicans can't gerrymander their way to power forever.

[pbr56]

11:22 AM on 02/08/2012

Actually, there is an independent commission that does redistricting in arizona. That is why there was a big fuss here when the governor tried to remove the independent leader of the group.

[den1953]

10:39 AM on 02/08/2012

Wonder if he cleaned up Washington yet, kinda of hard to do when you do nothing for two years!

[evilchihuahua]

10:31 AM on 02/08/2012

The potato(e) doesn't fall far from the tree.

[Cantinflas]

10:34 AM on 02/08/2012

LOL. He probably thiks potatoes do grow on trees.

[rotorhead1871]

10:10 AM on 02/08/2012

quail is an absolute embarrassment to humanity...

[wyb]

11:21 AM on 02/08/2012

The Arizona GOP vita requirement is some highschool, not more.

[edtheengineer]

12:50 PM on 02/08/2012

Their requirement for the governorship is similar.

[rotorhead1871]

05:15 PM on 02/08/2012

I dont think he can even read..for sure spell...

[Rasebiho]

09:34 AM on 02/08/2012

Quayle won his previous election against a field of more qualified candidates because of name recognition. he will come up with a lot of money because of strong connections to the McCain side of the Republican party in Arizona, but the voters believe Schweikert has been a real winner. He is arguably Arizona's most popular new Congressman inside his district and across the state.

This one goes to Schweikert.

[DesertRatzoRizzo]

09:13 AM on 02/08/2012

Ben Quayle is my Congressman, Jon Kyl and John McCain are my US Senators, Joe Arpaio is my Sheriff, Jan Brewer is my Governor. Aaarrrggghhhh.....

[KickstandCat]

09:50 AM on 02/08/2012

OMG!!!!!! You poor thing.

[evilchihuahua]

10:32 AM on 02/08/2012

You must have been REEEEEEALLY bad in a former lifetime.;)

[chefacree]

09:06 AM on 02/08/2012

She says Obama is thin skinned. I don't think so. He just doesn't like the lies she told in her book about the mtg she had with the President. Also for someone with a face that looks like a prune she shouldn't talk about skin. When ever she appears on Fox they must air brush her face because she doesn't look like that on local TV. She is so ugly they have to clean her up.

[Titan1nyc]

11:11 AM on 02/08/2012

That's what happens when you eat scorpions for breakfast.

[GaryNMaine]

12:55 PM on 02/08/2012

live scorpions

[rcwells]

08:07 AM on 02/08/2012

"Their values are my values". I guess he lives on a county club with an assisted living facility. This guy reminds me of a character out of "Caddy Shack". Hoy Faloy!

[Prankster]

06:52 AM on 02/08/2012

Sic your mommy on them Benny, she'll take care of it.

[Rogell]

02:49 AM on 02/08/2012

If he had joined one of our four military branches, perhaps he might have learned some manners. What a sorry young man he's turned out to be...

[TOPCAT711]

12:30 AM on 02/08/2012

little twerp