In 2002, in Arizona's 1st Congressional District - similar to the 8th - George Cordova was a nobody among a full house of Democratic favorites.
Cordova beat the better-known candidates with less than 25 percent of the Democratic primary vote.
"Cordova wasn't on anyone's radar," said Fred Solop, director of the Flagstaff-based Grand Canyon Poll.
The national Democratic Party was slow to help Cordova after the primary. He went on to lose to Virginia transplant Rick Renzi, who has become a rising star in the Republican party.
Democrats Jeff Latas and Alex Rodriguez, as well as Republican Frank Antenori, represent something altogether new in national political algebra: An upstart veterans' movement.
Across the nation, more than 60 veterans are seeking seats in Congress. That's the largest such number since 1946, when GIs returned from World War II and entered politics - including up-and-comers Richard Nixon and John F. Kennedy.
"There's a real progressive movement happening here," said Latas, a former F-15E Strike Eagle pilot. "We put our lives on the line for our country and are ready to do it again."
Latas was a favorite to take on Kolbe while Kolbe was still in the race. When Kolbe dropped out, the race opened up and Latas' money evaporated. But it is building back up.
Rodriguez, a Tucson Unified School District Governing Board member, served as a tank platoon commander in the Army Reserves and as a national security expert under former Defense Secretary William Cohen in the 1990s.
"No one else has the combination of experiences that I bring," Rodriguez said.
Frank Antenori, a Raytheon project manager, is the Rambo of the race. He served as a Special Forces operator in Iraq and Afghanistan and won a Bronze Star for heroism. He can, and does, give a professional dissertation on exactly what's gone wrong in Iraq from a soldier's standpoint and is running on a national security agenda.
The real underdogs are longtime activist Dwight Leister and former federal administrator Francine Shacter, both Democrats. Leister's involvement goes back to helping Sam Goddard get elected as Arizona governor in 1964 and Shacter organized for presidential candidate Adlai Stevenson in the 1950s.
Republican Mike Jenkins, a Vietnam-era veteran, ran unsuccessful campaigns for the Tucson City Council and the state Legislature.
Bill Katzel refuses to raise money and is the lone independent.
KEY DATES
• Last day to file for candidacy: June 14
• Deadline to register for primary: Aug. 14.
• Primary: Sept. 12
• Deadline to register for the general election: Oct. 9.
• General election: Nov. 7
«PREV. PAGE 1,
2,
3
