Jim Osbury

ST. PAUL, Minn. – As Grand Canyon State voters headed out to the polls today, the state’s Republican Party chair speculated that the GOP primary in the 5th Congressional District was a jump ball between two candidates.

“My understanding is that it’s pretty much a dead-heat between” former Maricopa County Treasurer David Schweikert and former Scottsdale City Councilwoman Susan Bitter Smith, Arizona Republican Party Chairman Randy Pullen told PolitickerAZ.com today.

The contest between Schweikert and Bitter Smith for the right to take on U.S. Rep. Harry Mitchell (D-Tempe) has taken on an increasingly hostile tone in recent weeks, with the Schweikert-backing Club for Growth targeting Bitter Smith on the suburban Phoenix airwaves.

“It’s gotten a little nasty,” Pullen acknowledged.

Jim Ogsbury’s latest press release is titled “Former Democratic Party Chair Exposed.”

Ogsbury’s camp seems to have realized, despite his party registration, Democratic Congressman Harry Mitchell is personally popular in his home 5th Congressional District.  When a politician is personally liked by his constituents it makes it harder to attack them. 

Ogsbury’s campaign today issued the press release to show how Mitchell has voted with Democratic Majority 88.7% of the time.  Ogsbury takes much of the same line former candidate Jeff Hatch-Miller took during his short flirtation with the seat.  Hatch-Miller seemed to talk a lot about the failures of Congress and the need for change, recognizing Congress’ approval rating is at a historical low just like the President’s.  This shows the fine balance the eventual Republican nominee will have in trying to attack a popular Congressman who is part of an unpopular Congress.