In a new TV ad, Democrat Matt Heinz accuses his primary opponent, Ron Barber, of contributing to Southern Arizona becoming a “dumping ground” for extremist legislation.
“Southern Arizona has become a dumping ground for extremist, tea party legislation,” the narrator says. “Ron Barber added to the pile when he voted for a Tea Party-backed bill that exempted the Border Patrol from over a century of environmental laws. An experienced legislator knows bipartisanship doesn’t mean voting for bad policy.”
In what was his first vote in Congress after winning the Congressional District 8 special election on June 12, Barber voted for a Republican-backed measure to allow the Border Patrol to bypass many environmental laws on federally managed lands within 100 miles of the Mexican and Canadian borders.
The bill’s architect is Rep. Rob Bishop, R-Utah, who was initially a member of the Tea Party Caucus created in 2010 by Rep. Michelle Bachman, R-Minn.
Heinz, a Tucson doctor and two-term state representative, has been among a group of Democrats and environmentalists who have called out Barber for that vote. This new TV ad continues that attack.
Barber has said the legislation was far from perfect (he believes the 100-mile zone is excessive) but will give Border Patrol agents more access to pursue smugglers. He said he voted for it because wanted to make a strong statement about his support for border security measures.
Barber and Heinz are facing off in the Aug. 28 primary in the new Congressional District 2. The winner will face either Martha McSally or Mark Koskiniemi in the Nov. 6 general election.
Heinz’ new TV ad will be airing through the weekend on cable in Tucson, Bisbee, Sierra Vista and Douglas. It’s airing in rotation with Heinz’ first campaign ad, which touted legislation created by Heinz to help women in Arizona get breast and cervical cancer treatment.
Barber has not yet produced a TV ad in this primary campaign. Barber and Heinz will both participate in a candidate forum being filmed this Friday and set to air on KUAT Monday evening.
Barber enters the race with the momentum of having just won a difficult election, holds a significant advantage in campaign funds, and has the backing of Giffords, an immensely popular figure in the district.
New filings due Thursday with the Federal Election Commission will show once again Barber’s support from Southern Arizonans, said spokeswoman Jessica Schultz.
“The reason that Ron was able to raise $288,000 during the most recent filing period is that Southern Arizonans support his work in Congress,” Schultz said in a statement. “He has voted against tax cuts and giveaways for big oil, promoted the solar industry, voted to extend tax cuts for middle class families while ensuring that the richest two percent pay their fair share, and introduced legislation to protect our veterans. In short, Ron works every day to fight for Southern Arizona's priorities.”
Stay tuned to the Pueblo Politics blog throughout 2012 for news, updates and information about Arizona politics. You can follow Arizona Daily Star reporters Brady McCombs and Becky Pallack on Twitter.
