Hourly Update

Rep. Tom Tancredo plans trip to Tucson to endorse Graf

One of the most vocal Republican opponents of President Bush’s immigration policy is planning a trip to Tucson later this month to stump for Congressional candidate Randy Graf. Rep. Tom Tancredo, a Colorado Republican, will appear with Graf at an event intended to highlight the work of the Minuteman Project, said Graf’s campaign manager R.T. Gregg. Tancredo, a foe of the White House on immigration, has become a national figure for his strong advocacy for securing the U.S.-Mexico border. He has endorsed Graf for Congress. Graf said he met Tancredo in 2003, when the Congressman visited Cochise County to assess the border. “Tom’s been on the forefront of this issue in Congress,” said Graf. Tancredo leads the House Immigration Reform Caucus, made up mostly of Republicans. The visit comes as Graf, who is running for retiring Rep. Jim Kolbe’s seat in Southern Arizona’s District 8, nears the final month of a competitive primary race against four other Republicans. Graf is running against Frank Antenori, Mike Hellon, Steve Huffman and Mike Jenkins. Immigration has become the predominant issue on the Republican side. But Graf, who ran against Kolbe in 2004 on a strong anti-illegal immigration campaign, says he was talking about the issue before it took the stage nationally.