Jeff Flake

U.S. Rep. John Shadegg: Getty Images PhotoReps. John Shadegg (R–Phoenix) and Jeff Flake (R-Mesa) are slated to appear as special guests at a July 30 fundraiser for the Senate Conservatives Fund, a political action committee founded by U.S. Sen. Jim DeMint (R-S.C.).

The fundraiser, billed as a “South Carolina-style” event, is set to take place in Washington. A spokesman for DeMint did not specify how much the event aimed to raise. It is the Senate Conservatives Fund’s first public fundraising event.

DeMint, seen widely as one of the Senate’s most conservative members, launched the PAC in June. The stated goal of the Senate Conservative Fund is to endorse and support down the line conservative candidates who are running for the Senate this cycle. The PAC has yet to make public any endorsements.

U.S. Rep. Jeff Flake (R-Chandler)U.S. Rep. Jeff Flake (R-Chandler) probably doesn't have to worry about re-election. The 6th Congressional District is reliably Republican, and voters there returned Flake to Congress by a 50% margin in 2006. Also, thus far Flake has $1,820 on hand for every dollar his opponent, Chris Gramazio, has in his war chest. If Flake outspends his rival by a 100:1 ratio this cycle, he will still have well over $1 million in his re-election fund. That puts him in an excellent position to help out Republican incumbents and candidates who face tougher battles this year.

“Definitely,” said Matthew Specht, Flake’s Deputy Chief of Staff, when asked if other Republicans would be recipients of Flake’s largesse this cycle. “We have contributed to a lot of campaigns already.”

John McCain may be the Republican nominee for President, but according to Right Wing News blog McCain is not a favorite among right wing bloggers. The blog sent out an email to right wing blogs asking them to name their least favorite elected Republican. Arizona’s senior senator came in 5th behind Chuck Hagel, Arlen Specter, Olympia Snowe and Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Right Wing News had done an earlier survey asking bloggers for their favorite Republicans and four Arizona Republicans made the top 20.  Jeff Flake came in 11th, John Shadegg and Jon Kyl tied for 12th and McCain made that list too coming in 16th.

Last week the Maricopa County Republican Committee Executive Guidance Council decided to get involved in the LD18 senate primary after it was learned Republican Kevin Gibbons had received $1,500 in campaign contributions from former Democrat Party Chairman Jim Pederson and his family. The County Chairman of the MCRC, Tom Husband encouraged Gibbons to give the donations back to Pederson.

The Arizona AFL-CIO has unveiled its endorsements in this year's U.S. House primaries, though only one of the candidates is actually engaged in a primary, and one primary was bypassed altogether.

All candidates who received endorsements were Democrats, and included the four Democratic members of the Arizona House delegation, though none faces a primary. Other recipients were Bob Lord, who is taking on U.S. Rep. John Shadegg (R-Phoenix) in the 3rd Congressional District; John Thrasher, a Democrat who is running for the second time against U.S. Rep. Trent Franks (R-Glendale) in the 2nd Congressional District; and Ann Kirkpatrick, the front-runner in the 1st Congressional District Democratic pack.

"These candidates share our vision of what is important to Arizona’s working families," said Rebekah Friend, the Arizona AFL-CIO's executive director. "It is crucial for the future of Arizona that we elect those who are going to step up to the plate and fight for the issues that will move Arizona forward. We’re convinced that these candidates will do just that."

Republican Party leaders will be on hand to raise funds for the congressional campaign of state Sen. Tim Bee (R-Tucson) Thursday in Washington, D.C. The reception, which will cost contributors $500/person (or $1,000 for a PAC contribution), is set to feature the top two Republicans in the house, Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio) and Minority Whip Roy Blunt (R-Mo.), as well as nine other Republican House members.

The three Republican representatives in the Arizona delegation who are seeking re-election will be appearing: Reps. Jeff Flake, Trent Franks and John Shadegg, as well as Jim Kolbe, who held the 8th Congressional District seat Bee is trying to take away from Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, Kolbe's successor.

In order to appear at the fundraiser at 5:30 EDT, Bee will not be able to preside over the Arizona Senate or participate in ongoing budget negotiations. Bee has been criticized by Democrats for campaigning while a constitutional deadline to settle the budget looms.

Capping a day when CD1 candidate Sydney Hay picked up the support of ten state legislators in the district she hopes to represent, Hay also gained a backer in higher office: U.S. Rep. John Shadegg (R-3).

Shadegg is the second member of Congress to lend his support to Hay, who looks increasingly likely to become the Republican nominee to face off against the eventual Democratic nominee for the open seat. U.S. Rep. Jeff Flake endorsed Hay on May 20, and U.S. Rep. Trent Franks (R-2), for whom Hay was a spokeswoman during his 2006 re-election campaign, endorsed her as soon as she entered the race last August.

"We need you in the halls of Congress," the release from the Hay campaign quoted Shadegg as saying.

After long process of looking for possible candidates to challenge Sydney Hay in Arizona’s First CD, Republicans are starting to rally behind Hay.  Today Hay was endorsed by Congressman Jeff Flake.

While Arizona's congressional delegation may often split along ideological divides, yesterday marked a rare occasion in which Democrats and Republicans united behind a common cause.

In a letter sent to President George W. Bush, four Republican and two Democratic members of Congress from Arizona urged the federal government to renew Operation Jump Start, the 2006 initiative to place National Guard troops along the U.S.-Mexico border. The mandate is set to expire in just over two months, which, the legislators argue, would severely compromise anti-illegal immigration efforts.

Rep. Jeff Flake (R-6) is considering whether or not to support the Post-9/11 GI Bill, introduced by Rep. Harry Mitchell (D-5) and supported by more than half the U.S. House, including 71 Republicans. If Flake decides to become a cosponsor, he would be the sole member of Arizona's GOP contingent to do so.

Democrats at all levels are pushing for the bill, designed to include reservists and National Guard troops who served in Iraq and Afghanistan to be covered under the same educational. News of Flake's deliberation comes on the day the Washington Post published a story entitled "Some Veterans Find GI Bill Falls Short," and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) praised the bill.