Thursday, March 25, 2010

Glassman vs. D.C.?

Posted By on Thu, Mar 25, 2010 at 11:23 AM

Tucson City Councilman Rodney Glassman, who is expected to announce his campaign for U.S. Sen. John McCain's seat in early April, may be having trouble with Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, which is rumored to be hunting for a stronger candidate in race, especially with the possibility (however slight) that McCain could lose to Republican J.D. Hayworth in the GOP primary.

Huffington Post blogger Marlene H. Phillips reports that Glassman's supporters are coming to his defense:


One candidate, Tucson City Council member Rodney Glassman, has spent the last eight months establishing an exploratory campaign team while gathering support for a possible run (Glassman has publicly stated he will not make a formal announcement until early April, after Tucson's budget is finalized). Now Politico reports another Democrat, businesswoman Nan Stockholm Walden, may also be considering a run for the Senate seat.

But some Arizona Democratic activists are questioning who's behind Walden's sudden mention as a possible challenger, and they're pointing an accusatory finger toward Washington D.C. According to a report in the National Journal, some Democrats in the nation's capital believe Glassman may not have sufficient Washington credentials to be a strong contender, and could be encouraging

other candidates to enter the race, including Walden. Glassman himself commented on the rumor, saying in a press release that "recent comments by the DSCC (Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee) only highlight the fact that, should I decide to run, I will not be an establishment candidate."

One former state Democratic party official strongly believes Walden, a successful businesswoman who served on the staff of two former Democratic Senators and contributed to many Democratic candidates, is being encouraged to run by politicos in D.C. because, he said, they want someone they are comfortable with. "I think what we're seeing is DC people looking for someone with a DC base. They're shopping for a candidate and it's ridiculous."

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