More news out of Arizona:
Arizona Rep. Ann Kirkpatrick (D) will release a new ad Saturday in her bid to unseat five-term Sen. John McCain (R).
The ad, titled "Uniquely Arizona," focuses on McCain's record in Washington, drawing comparisons to Kirkpatrick's policy positions on term limits, Wall Street bailouts and women's health.
"It's a story of two candidates," the ad begins. "John McCain has been in Washington for 33 years, Ann Kirkpatrick has taken a term-limit pledge."
McCain was first elected to Congress in 1983 and to the Senate in 1987, Kirkpatrick has been in Congress since 2009.
The 2016 race could be the closest of McCain's Senate career, as he faces an unusually strong challenger in Kirkpatrick and changing demographics in Arizona.
A spokesman for the Kirkpatrick campaign said the ad would run statewide, as part of a "six-figure buy."
These aren’t the only issues in this race. This one’s a big one:
Last week, Kirkpatrick came out in support of Prop 206, the Fair Wages and Healthy Families Act that voters will decide in the November election.
The proposition would increase the Arizona minimum wage from the current $8.05 an hour to $10 in 2017 and $12 by 2020, with future increases based on cost-of-living adjustments. It would also mandate that employers provide with at least three days of sick leave.
Kirkpatrick said that she encouraged “every voter to stand with Arizona families” in a prepared statement.
“No one who works 40 hours a week should have to live in poverty and decide between buying groceries, medicine or paying the bills,” said Kirkpatrick. “Raising the minimum wage offers hardworking families the opportunity to put food on the table, care for their children, and creates a better future for our state.”
But in an interview with the Weekly, McCain said the proposition would be bad for Arizona families.
“Twice I’ve talked to groups of franchisees here in Arizona, Taco Bell and McDonalds, those places that give you the first rung on the ladder,” McCain said. “They said, ‘Fine. The next time you drive up to a window, you won’t be talking to a person. The next time you they hand you a hamburger and French fries, it will come out a slot. … They have a certain profit margin. They cannot raise their cost of their product or people will stop purchasing it. So what are they going to do? They’re going to automate. So somebody is going to have to convince me that it’s good for employment in America, and I don’t think it is.”
Also, set your calendar for this:
Arizona's major-party U.S. Senate candidates have agreed to their first, and likely only, debate of the 2016 election, in an event sponsored by The Arizona Republic and Arizona PBS.
The debate between Rep. Ann Kirkpatrick and Sen. John McCain will be held on Oct. 10 at 7 p.m. in the studios of Arizona PBS. The candidates will discuss foreign, domestic and regional issues.
The moderators will be Arizona PBS' Ted Simons and The Republic's Yvonne Wingett Sanchez. Questions for the candidates will be chosen by the moderators and editors of sponsoring organizations, as well as suggested by the public through social media.
The debate will air live on Arizona PBS, azcentral.com and Facebook/azcentral.
Until then, lets give Kirkpatrick’s campaign a boost. Click here to donate and get involved with her campaign.