11/5/2008 12:03:00 AM Kirkpatrick scores many firsts in CD-1 victory
Ann Kirkpatrick
Matt Hinshaw/The Daily Courier
Sydney Hay, Republican Candidate for Congressional District One of Arizona, looks over the shoulders of her daughter Sarah Raybon as the first round of poll results becomes available online at Murphy's Establishment in downtown Prescott Tuesday night.
For the first time in more than a quarter-century, Yavapai County has a Democrat in Congress.
Flagstaff attorney Ann Kirkpatrick easily overcame her Republican opponent Sydney Hay to take the 1st Congressional District seat away from the Republicans Tuesday.
"It's an historic moment," Kirkpatrick said from Flagstaff Tuesday night. She credited hundreds of volunteers who knocked on doors and made calls.
Kirkpatrick garnered 55 percent of the vote compared to Hay's 41 percent in preliminary results posted by 11 p.m. Tuesday. Independent Brent Maupin got three percent and Libertarian Thane Eichenauer had one percent.
Yavapai was one of only two counties in the district that picked Hay over Kirkpatrick, although it was close. The huge rural district contains parts of eight counties, and Yavapai has the largest voting block.
The last time a Democrat represented this county in Congress was 1981, when long-time incumbent Bob Stump decided to switch from the Democratic to the Republican Party after voting for the Reagan tax cuts.
At that time, Yavapai was part of the 3rd Congressional District.
This also is the first time that the U.S. House delegation from Arizona has a majority of Democrats, five to three, since 1966. Until two years ago, Republicans held six of the posts.
Kirkpatrick noted she also is the fourth woman to represent Arizona in the House of Representatives. She is a native of the district.
Incumbent Rick Renzi decided not to run again. He is facing a 35-count indictment with a trial set for 2009.
He has not made a public appearance in Yavapai County since voters elected him to his third term two years ago.
"Tonight is just the beginning of a long conversation about changes we want in the district," Kirkpatrick said Tuesday, not long after the Associated Press called the election in her favor around 8:35 p.m.
For example, she plans to establish a consumer services constituent outreach program that will include videoconferencing with local elected officials.
Hay said the lack of national Republican Party support from the National Republican Congressional Committee did not help her, especially since the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee pumped more than $2 million into ads attacking Hay.
"From the beginning, the national party told me it was going to be a bad year and there won't be any money for anyone except vulnerable incumbents," Hay related.
During the last week of the campaign, the DCCC and Kirkpatrick spent more than she spent during her entire campaign, Hay said.
"That's pretty tough to overcome," Hay said from her campaign headquarters in Prescott Tuesday night. "I think the Republican national leaders will look at this and think, 'This is a race we should have got involved in.'"
Contact the reporter at jdodder@prescottaz.com
Reader Comments
Posted: Thursday, November 06, 2008
Article comment by:
Just a person
Oh you poor scared people, why can't you just give someone, anyone a chance. We can always change the way something is. The operative word is "we," not the one person that won or lost but We. I suspect that if the Republican won we would not seee half the nonsense we are seeing here. Remember its WE that make the change.
Posted: Thursday, November 06, 2008
Article comment by:
Character revealed
Dennis: I think you have a point, but I would also say in this particular race Ms. Hay has the moral high ground (not that it does her any good). Ms. Kirkpatrick ran a particularly negative (and not always terribly honest) campaign. Given the situation, Ms. Kirkpatrick started with tremendous advantages (the economy, money, the broad Democratic "surge"), did she really have to get so far into the gutter? Tells us something about her I think.
Posted: Wednesday, November 05, 2008
Article comment by:
Dennis
I think the people in this area are tired of crooked politicians and this change proves that point.
The 'blame game' will go on for days but the Republicans have no one to blame except corruption.
Posted: Wednesday, November 05, 2008
Article comment by:
DNC won, CD1 lost
This particular race just proves a seat can be bought if one side throws enough out of state money at it. And Ms. Kirkpatrick should be ashamed of the dishonesty contained in most of those expensive brochures that we all get every week. But, I'm sure she is not because winning trumps everything and the end justifies the means.
Posted: Wednesday, November 05, 2008
Article comment by:
Grassroots
Ann Kirkpatrick was the choice of Nancy Pelosi and had lots of DNC money. Once again, the RNC failed us! Sydney Hay worked very hard to overcome indifference from the GOP. I'm a Republican (for now) and I can't WAIT to see Bush leave Washington, D.C. He's done more harm to the party than just about any Democrat. Good riddance. And take "the architect" Karl Rove with him.
Posted: Wednesday, November 05, 2008
Article comment by:
Change???
The republican national committee IS out of touch. Its a shame they left Sydney out to dry. The Dems have a unique opportunity to do something great. If they don't, then it will be a short lived victory.
