Tidball withdraws, endorses Bee

State Sen. Tim Bee (R-Tucson) had a good day Tuesday in his CD8 congressional campaign: He filed 6,604 signatures, which his campaign claims is the most ever filed by a Republican running for that seat; and a one-time rival, former independent candidate Derek Tidball, dropped out of the race by way of endorsing Bee.

"I am endorsing Senator Tim Bee," said Tidball in a statement, "because he is clearly the strongest candidate in the race for the 8th Congressional District. After discussions with Tim Bee, he made it clear to me that he is committed to veterans and their families. I pledge my full support and ask veterans and all the voters of the district to do the same. Who we send to Washington does matter, and Tim Bee is the person that can best represent us."

Tidball is a former 101st Airborne Division paratrooper and a veteran of the war in Afghanistan.

“I am honored to have the support of Derek Tidball," responded Bee. "Derek fought the War against Terror in Afghanistan and we are grateful for his service in defending America. He brought to the forefront veterans’ issues and led a spirited campaign. I welcome his support."

State Sen. Bee is trying to unseat first term Democratic congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords in the general election.