WASHINGTON – Just weeks after the 2022 election, the first candidate for 2024 submitted a letter of interest to the Arizona Secretary of State. Since then, the number of applicants to submit papers to Congress has ballooned to his 49, and many more informal bids have been announced.

Jacob Lubashkin is not surprised.

Inside Elections reporter Rubashkin said, “Things are very expensive and we have to be raising money a year in advance to be able to run an effective campaign in the next couple of months. I will not.” “That’s the reality. We have too much money and need more time to put it together.”

With 18 months to go until Election Day 2024, Arizonas have a diverse mix of civic candidates, incumbents, and state officials seeking a seat in the Congress. have already submitted Statement of Interest on the Secretary of State’s website. Of his 49 filings by this week, 17 also filed financial reports for the Federal Election Commission. Open an FEC account 2024 so far.

They include former state senator Kirsten Engel, one of three 2022 candidates who have lost the election seeking a rematch. They include Republican incumbents Debbie Lesko of Peoria, David Schweickert of Fountain Hills, Paul Gosser of Bullhead City and Andy Biggs of Gilbert.

And those include lawmakers. Ruben Gallego D-Phoenix, Pinal County Sheriff Mark Lamb Senator Kirsten Cinema, a Republican who announced plans to challenge I-Ariz. – Those who have not yet formally submitted.

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Experts and campaign managers say it’s important to set aside as much time as possible not only to build funds, but also to build relationships. They said it applies not only to veteran politicians, but also to rookie politicians.

Rodd McLeod, analyst at Radar Strategies in Arizona, said: “Time is irreversible, isn’t it? You can always raise more money…try to hire more people.”

But different candidates use that time differently. For newcomers, it’s far more important to make yourself known, which Lubashkin calls the ability to “get noticed and establish yourself as a credible candidate.”

“It’s always helpful to go out the gate first, isn’t it?” It’s like default.

First-time candidate Andrew Horn wasted little time in his bid for the Schweikert seat. He submitted the paperwork to the Secretary of State by January 15, Campaign site Shortly thereafter. Despite the effort it takes to build his brand, Horn said Schweikert’s decision was made because voters in District 1 were convinced Schweikert was ready to “go away.” He said he was not intimidated by his 13-year position in Congress.

“They’re looking for candidates to talk to them, and I’m one of them, I’m one of this district,” Horn said. My daughter lives here and this is my home.”

Jeremy Spreitzer isn’t the first nominee, but he’s close. Last August, I signed up as her write-in candidate against Lesko after seeing her running without an opponent. 2024, Spreitzer, A Democrat, I started early.

“The real secret here is that we’re starting to build recognition … there’s another candidate out there, another person who wants to represent the community,” Spreitzer said.

His campaign is more than Election Day, he said. It’s about showing voters in the constituency that “we can hold her more accountable and we’re going to have more civic engagement.”

Rep. Paul Gosser of R-Bullhead City was supported by his supporters when he announced he would run for re-election in March, just months after being re-elected to a seventh term from a conservative, Republican-strong constituency. rice field. (Photo Credit: Gosar Campaign)

Political novices aren’t the only ones jumping early to compete with established incumbents. Phoenix Democrats Jennifer Longdon and Amish Shah, who have been in the Arizona House of Representatives since 2019, have already filed papers to challenge Biggs and Schweikert, respectively.

shah, A physician, he works at the Mayo Clinic in “the heart of the congressional district,” where he says he feels connected to the community. However, he acknowledges that more positions need to be covered than in past elections.

“This is a congressional district about three times the size of the legislative branch,” Shah said. “So we need to have a plan for that, which means we need to be bigger because we need to reach more voters.”

The same can be said about Gallego, who announced His Senate campaign on January 23rd. The fifth-term congressman is already holding events across the state to meet with different communities, his campaign team said.

“It’s a big state with a lot of land to cover, and getting in early allows us to talk to people over and over again,” said Nicole Johnson, Senate campaign director for Gallego. “Even before he jumped in, Ruben was talking about what people were interested in, what issues were important to them, what they really cared about and what they wanted from their representatives.”

Gallego’s announcement opened parliamentary seats in the blue district and it didn’t take long for progressive hopefuls to start lining up. Democratic Rep. Raquel Teran, who was a state senator at the time, and Phoenix Deputy Mayor Yasamin Ansari sought Gallego’s seat, which he submitted to the FEC. Terran resigned his Senate seat in his February and went on to “consider running for Congress.”

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McLeod said incumbents would be under less pressure to make a name for themselves and could use that time to raise money for the campaign. But he said campaigning early and often could benefit them as well.

“There are a lot of public appearances, op-ed articles, news interviews, speeches, and meetings with community groups, even if you don’t talk about the campaign. We are in touch with,” McLeod said.

Gosar’s campaign said it was not surprising that he had already announced his bid for re-election as the incumbent for the seventh term had enthusiastic support in the district.

“As long as he chooses and the voters want him, he will serve this seat,” said Laurie McShane, general consultant for Gosser. “And anyone who dares to confront him will be taken deep into the pool and drowned.”

While Gallego left a constituency that never had less than 74.9% of the vote in a general election, Johnson said he needed time, cooperation and resources to extend his reputation to the state level. said.

“Senators are a big job, and in doing it they are doing their best for different thoughts, different views, different things that are important to them,” Johnson said. , Gallego said he was not running for office.

Shah said he believes it’s more important to connect with voters and learn how to best serve them than to beat the competition.

“I think every candidate should have the ability and the opportunity to make their point and speak to people. The best may win,” Shah said. “Let’s get the message out there and it will resonate. Hopefully our message will be something that people can connect with.”