The ballot for the special election to complete Rep. Gabrielle Giffords’ term is set. It will include four Republicans, one Democrat and one Green party candidate.
The candidates who made the ballot, and number of signatures they turned in, are:
• Republican state Sen. Frank Antenori — 1,798 signatures.
• Republican Dave Sitton, sports broadcaster and businessman — 1,317 signatures.
• Republican Jesse Kelly, project manager in family construction business — 2,107 signatures.
• Republican Martha McSally, retired Air Force combat pilot — 1,505 signatures.
• Democrat Ron Barber, former district director for Giffords — 7,110 signatures.
• Green party candidate Charlie Manolakis — 13 signatures.
To make it on the ballot, Republican candidates needed 782 signatures; Democrats needed 671 signatures; and Green party candidates needed five signatures.
The two Republicans who had announced intentions to run and filed with the Federal Election Commission, didn’t make the ballot. John Lervold, an interrogations instructor from Sierra Vista; and Mark Koskiniemi, who works in the Pima County procurement department, said they came up short of signatures.
The filings make it official that Barber will run unopposed in the Democratic primary. When he announced his candidacy earlier this month — with the backing of Giffords — the other Democrats considering a run stepped back and endorsed him.
The upcoming special election was triggered by Giffords’ resignation to focus on her recovery after being shot in the head in January 2011.
The primary is April 17 primary, with early voting beginning on March 22.
The special general election is June 12.
The Green party candidate, Manolakis, was a surprise entry on the ballot. He hadn’t announced his candidacy or registered with the Federal Election Commission.
Read more of this story, including the candidates' bios, Tuesday in the Arizona Daily Star and on StarNet.
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