You know the Republican desperation surrounding the Arizona INDEPENDENT Redistricting Commission, where Gov. Jan Brewer (R,TP) was smacked down by the AZ Supreme Court when she tried to fire its independent head, Colleen Mathis, because she was acting all-too-independently.
Well, score one for the AIRC in AZ-01:
Overcoming a sizable Democratic voter registration advantage in the newly redrawn First Congressional District might be, for a Republican incumbent, like pulling teeth.
So freshman U.S. Rep. Paul Gosar (R-Flagstaff) is considering running in another district next year.
The new political boundaries in CD1, adopted Tuesday by the Arizona Independent Redistricting Commission, give a 9 percentage point edge to registered Democrats over Republicans, according to the commission.
The proposed CD1 boundaries, which still need the approval of the Department of Justice, cover all or parts of seven counties: Coconino, Navajo, Apache, Gila, Graham, Greenlee and Pinal.
They also remove Prescott and Prescott Valley, two political strongholds for Gosar.
Democrats have only a 3 percentage point edge over Republicans under the current CD1 boundaries.
I now live right in between Prescott and Prescott Valley, and I can affirm that this is a Republican stronghold with more than a few extreme anti-Obama bumper stickers displayed proudly, so taking these cities away from Gosar in an otherwise Democratic-leaning district that includes Flagstaff will be difficult for him to overcome, indeed.
One of Gosar's announced competitors for the AZ-01 seat laid into him:
Former CD1 representative Ann Kirkpatrick, a Flagstaff Democrat who lost to Gosar last year, chastised Gosar for even considering running in a district not tied to his Flagstaff-area home for the last 25 years.
"This is truly a competitive district. It's also my home, and I'm willing to work and fight to make it a better place," Kirkpatrick said. "It would be appalling to folks here if Paul Gosar put his political career above Flagstaff and his constituents."
You can contribute to Ann Kirkpatrick's campaign through Act Blue.