Kirkpatrick Keeps Spot On Primary Ballot

On Tuesday, a judge ruled that Democratic congressional candidate Ann Kirkpatrick can be placed on the primary ballot in August, even though her residency information was incorrectly stated on some her campaign documents.

The ruling was in response to a lawsuit funded by the campaign of former state Rep. Matt Heinz, one of Kirkpatrick’s Democratic opponents.

The lawsuit alleged that Kirkpatrick falsely claimed she lived in Tucson, when she actually resides in Phoenix.

Kirkpatrick said she has been living in Tucson for more than a year.

The judge said although some of Kirkpatrick’s nominating petitions incorrectly used her prior Tucson address, this doesn’t invalidate her petitions signatures needed to get on the ballot.

“With today’s court ruling, all doubts have been put to rest,” a statement from Kirkpatrick’s campaign said Tuesday.

In a statement, Heinz said he “respectfully disagree[d] with the judge’s ruling” and said “it was proven” that she lives in Phoenix “in order to obtain bank loans as well as tax credits.”

“Carpetbagger Ann Kirkpatrick defrauded and mislead voters, making it clear that her only concern is her own ambition. While the judge may have ruled that she is a resident of Tucson and intends to remain so, the shelf-life of Ann Kirkpatrick’s ‘intent’ is only through November. After which she will pack her bags and move to her next politically beneficial residency,” said RNC Spokesperson Renae Eze.

Kirkpatrick said she registered to vote in Pima County a month after moving to Tucson and cast a ballot in Tucson municipal elections.

Kirkpatrick is a former member of Congress. She gave up her seat representing northeastern Arizona in 2016 to make an unsuccessful challenge to Republican Sen. John McCain.

The 2nd District includes part of the Tucson area as well as Cochise County in the state’s southeastern corner. The Democratic field includes Heinz and former state representative Bruce Wheeler and Matt Heinz.

About ADI Staff Reporter 12168 Articles
Under the leadership of Editor-in -Chief Huey Freeman, our team of staff reporters bring accurate,timely, and complete news coverage.