Bill Konopnicki to challenge Sylvia Allen for senate seat

Rep. Bill Konopnicki had been rumored to be exploring a run for Congress against Ann Kirkpatrick in CD1. He has lowered his sight to take on incumbent Sen. Sylvia Allen in Legislative District 5. Konopnicki to challenge Allen for Senate seat:

The Republican primary election in a rural Arizona district is shaping up to be an exciting one, as a term-limited member of the House has announced he will challenge the district’s incumbent Republican senator.

Rep. Bill Konopnicki, a Safford Republican, announced today he would challenge Sen. Sylvia Allen for the District 5 Senate seat. Allen, who lives in Snowflake, was appointed to the Senate in 2008 after Jake Flake died. She is serving her first full term in office.

This one should be fun to watch. The GOP civil war between right-wing ideologues and what they term RINOS (Republicans In Name Only) is about to play out for all the world to see.

In recent years, conservative Republicans have often criticized Konopnicki for breaking from the party line, especially on the budget. He was a key figure in a 2004 revolt in the House that saw 16 Republicans turn on leaders and back a budget that was supported by the Democrats.

Konopnicki threw down the gauntlet with his statement announcing his candidacy:

Konopnicki said voters want leaders who will rise above partisanship, regardless of the political risk. That is especially important for his rural district, he said, because lawmakers tend to focus their attention on urban centers like Phoenix and Tucson.

“We need new leadership and new direction, with a special focus on jobs and unemployment in rural Arizona. I can no longer allow misguided ideological decision making to override common sense,” he said in a prepared statement.

Good luck Konopnicki. The graphic above is from the teabagger web site patriotroom.com. This is the kind of craziness you are likely to face.