Redistricting and Gabby's seat in Congress

Last month, Arizona Redistricting Commissioner Rick Stertz, when asked about the reason for his vigorous advocacy to include Marana and Oro Valley in the new Second Congressional district emphatically told me his concern had nothing to do with former Tea Party GOP Congressional candidate Jesse Kelly.

Kelly's address as listed on DexKnows is in Marana, in what is CD1 on the final Congressional map, but would have been in CD2 pursuant to the changes Stertz try to get.

Kelly, Stertz said, had moved out of state -- because of death threats the FBI considered credible -- and would NOT be running for Congress from Arizona.

This afternoon, two days after Tucson Congresswoman Gabby Giffords announced on YouTube that she would resign her seat, Roll Call reported

Jesse Kelly, who narrowly lost to Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D) in 2010, is running again in the upcoming 8th district special election, according to two sources.

“I would say an announcement is imminent,” said an insider close to the Iraq War veteran.

The other source claims the Democrats would have a difficult time finding another candidate "with her charm, name identification and fundraising prowess."

Maybe so, but long time Arizona pollster Bruce Merrill, in an interview on a local Phoenix news broadcast last night said he believes that if Giffords endorses someone to replace her, he thinks that person would be hard to beat.