A right-wing group that posts undercover videos visited the home of Mark Kelly and Gabrielle Giffords recently.

 Mike Christy / Arizona Daily Star 2019

A right-wing group known for undercover stings and deceptive videos showed up unannounced Wednesday morning at the Tucson home of U.S. Senate candidate Mark Kelly, a Democrat, and his wife, former U.S. Rep. Gabby Giffords.

Campaign spokesman Jacob Peters said the three men from Project Veritas Action identified themselves and asked to speak to Kelly, then lingered on the property after they were told that he was not available, Peters said.

“They refused to leave Mark and Gabby’s front door for more than 30 minutes, and it took repeated requests to get them to step away and leave the property,” the spokesman said in a written statement. “They set up a camera and recorded something from the front driveway before eventually leaving.”

Peters said Giffords was not home at the time, but Kelly was inside the house preparing for his interview with the Arizona Daily Star’s editorial board. The police were not notified.

“This is beyond the pale, as is the fact that they are preparing some sort of disinformation campaign,” Peters said.

A spokesman for Project Veritas Action told the Arizona Republic the men were there to question Kelly about his stance on gun control and disputed that the men were asked repeatedly to leave.

The group, founded by conservative political activist James O’Keefe in 2010, is known for using aliases and other so-called “guerilla” tactics to gain inside access to – and secretly record – media organizations and Democratic Party campaigns. Its tactics and its reports have been widely discredited by scholars and journalism organizations.

Previous targets of Project Veritas and Project Veritas Action include Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren, former Sen. Claire McCaskill and, most recently, U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar.

The deadline to register to vote in the general election is Monday. The easiest way to do so is online at www.servicearizona.com.

County to send out record 472K ballots

The Pima County Recorder’s Office said that a record 472,717 mail-in ballots will be sent out next Wednesday.

That total represents about three-quarters of the 614,473 registered voters in Pima County, as of Wednesday, an increase of about 12,000 voters in the last two weeks. The recorder’s office also sent 3,666 ballots to Pima County residents who are overseas, including members of the military, and have received 1,019 voted ballots back.

The deadline to register to vote in the general election is Monday. The easiest way to do so is online at www.servicearizona.com.

The deadline to request a ballot by mail is Oct. 23. Voters can do so online at tucne.ws/ballot, or by calling the recorder’s office at 724-4330.

A brief guide to state absentee voting rules and resources for requesting mail-in ballots for the upcoming election.

Local Democrats pen letter to McConnell

More than 40 local, state and congressional Democrats penned a letter to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell this week, demanding that he and his Senate colleagues pass additional pandemic economic relief before addressing other priorities, like filling the Supreme Court vacancy.

The letter states that “Arizonans have dealt with the dire consequences of the coronavirus more than virtually any other state,” and that the initial $1.86 billion received by the state through the CARES act was efficient, but not enough.

The group, which includes U.S. Reps. Ann Kirkpatrick and Raúl Grijalva and Tucson Mayor Regina Romero, pointed to the fact that McConnell has yet to pass a long-awaited second economic relief bill, but jumped at an opportunity to replace Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who recently died.

“In 2016, Senate Republicans held a Supreme Court vacancy through an election without consequence, and there’s no reason that this year should be any different. But out-of-work Arizonans are struggling to get by through the election, let alone another week. With less than 50 days for the Senate to be in session between now and the end of the year, we demand that you and your colleagues pass additional COVID relief before addressing any other priority,” the letter said.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Thursday the House is likely to vote on a $2.2 trillion coronavirus relief bill on Thursday, but that Democrats and the Trump administration remain divided on issues including funding for state and local governments.

Republican Brandon Martin, left, faces Democratic incumbent Ann Kirkpatrick for the U.S. House seat in Congressional District 2. They each received endorsements from the two presidential candidates.

CD2 race gets attention from Biden, Trump

Both presidential candidates have now weighed in on the race for Arizona’s second congressional district, with incumbent Kirkpatrick picking up an endorsement this week from Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden.

In his endorsement, Biden called Kirkpatrick “a champion for working families,” and promoted her ability to “work across the aisle and deliver meaningful results for Arizona.”

“Ann has fought to protect those with preexisting conditions, and she is a strong defender of Social Security and Medicare. Ann Kirkpatrick puts people before politics — and she is a powerful voice for Arizonans in Congress,” Biden said.

The endorsement for Kirkpatrick comes after President Trump offered his “complete and total” endorsement for Kirkpatrick’s competitor, veteran Brandon Martin, during a Latinos for Trump roundtable last month in Phoenix.

Many experts are predicting an easy reelection win for Kirkpatrick. Cook Political Report has listed the district as “solid” Democrat. Sabato’s Crystal Ball has the district as “likely Democratic.”

FC Tucson to help register voters

FC Tucson, the city’s professional soccer club, is joining forces with Aqui Se Vota! to host a free voter registration event on Saturday to increase Latino voter participation in the Tucson area for the upcoming elections.

The groups will be present from 2:30 to 5 p.m. at the Maracana Indoor Sports Arena, 555 E. 18th St., to assist the local community in registering eligible voters. Following the drive, they’ll be hosting a watch party at Iron John’s Brewing Company within the complex as FC Tucson takes on Forward Madison FC on the road at 5 p.m.

The event is free and open to the public. Social distancing will be enforced. Face masks are required, except when eating or drinking.

Become a #ThisIsTucson member! Your contribution helps our team bring you stories that keep you connected to the community. Become a member today.

Contact reporter Justin Sayers at jsayers1@tucson.com or 573-4192. Twitter: @_JustinSayers.