Related articles:

Political Notebook by Daniel Scarpinato : Dems salute Grijalva at combo rally, b-day party Political Notebook by Daniel Scarpinato : Sen. Bee hot-foots it south for Rove lunch Political Notebook by Daniel Scarpinato : If McCain quits Senate, the guessing gets good Napolitano endorses Obama Political Notebook by Daniel Scarpinato : 10 top stories kept state's political pot boiling Political Notebook by Daniel Scarpinato : Pick the winner — does Napolitano stay? Political Notebook by Daniel Scarpinato : Napolitano's endorsement could upset state Dems Political Notebook by Daniel Scarpinato : Ariz. to roll out desert- hue carpet for prince

Other articles by Daniel Scarpinato:

Ariz. Republicans firmly anti-Obama Same-sex-marriage ban advances GOP-delegate vote a tap dance around rivalry Political Notebook by Daniel Scarpinato : Poky lawmakers have to live on less Pinal inks contract with Union Pacific Giffords No. 1 in mailings using U.S. funds Political Notebook by Daniel Scarpinato : Oien quits MADD after its overture to Glassman Gay-marriage-ban foes raise straight issue anew Burns decides against running for fourth term in state House Giffords wraps up trip to Pakistan and Afghanistan

Sales and Marketing
Xentel
Business & Residential Callers General
Chapel Haven West
Program Staff Health Care
Mountain View Retirement Village
LPN Trades/Construction
Paragon Electric
Electricians Trades/Construction
arizona portland cement
maintenance electrician Education
Indian Oasis Baboquivari Unified School District
Teachers / Principals Dental
Dr. John Carson, DDS, PC
Dental Asst/Treatment Coordinator

As Gov. Janet Napolitano touted her support for Barack Obama this week, Democratic U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords opted to stay out of the endorsement frenzy.

That doesn't mean she has no opinion.

Asked Wednesday whether she planned to endorse — just a day after fellow Arizonan John McCain came out ahead in the GOP New Hampshire race — Giffords said she was "thrilled" that McCain won.

Full context: Giffords praised both Obama and Hillary Clinton, but it was McCain who really got her talking.

"I can't tell you how delighted I am to see someone who really, you know, has walked the talk," she said of the senator. "He has literally been left for dead in so many different ways," she said.

And she added, "He by far will be the toughest Republican for the Democrats to beat if he becomes the Republican nominee."

That's not an endorsement, but it is noteworthy, since it's pretty rare for a politician to show any interest in a member of the opposite party during an election year.

The congresswoman says she hasn't made a final decision yet about whom to vote for — but she warns that she may surprise us with an endorsement.

With Lena Saradnik resigning from the Legislature to focus on her stroke recovery, Democrats are now focused on figuring out who will take her seat.

Democratic precinct committeemen in Saradnik's home district — District 26 (the Foothills, Oro Valley and Marana) — will select three nominees on Tuesday to forward to the Pima County Board of Supervisors. The supervisors make the final decision on who will serve the remainder of her two-year term.

Originally, Dems were lining up behind Salette Latas, a very well-respected activist in the community who already is running for Oro Valley Town Council.

But at an private, informal meeting this week, it became apparent that area Democrats would instead support businessman Don Jorgensen, who already had filed papers to run in the district come November.

To the chagrin of some party activists, Latas is staying out, partly because Jorgensen was a supporter of Salette's husband, Jeff, during his 2006 bid for Congress.

Saradnik, meanwhile, plans to support both Jorgensen and Cheryl Cage, Saradnik's former campaign manager.

Pima County Recorder F. Ann Rodriguez reported Friday that nearly 7,000 people in the county re-registered from "other" to either the Democratic or Republican party during December and early January.

Some of those had to be voters who are interested in participating in the Feb. 5 presidential preference election — one in which independents and third-party voters don't have a say.

About 184,000 Democrats and 151,000 Republicans are registered to vote in the primary.