Randy Friese Treated Gabby Giffords—Now He’s Running For Congress

Topline

The surgeon who treated former Rep. Gabby Giffords (D-Ariz.) after she was shot in 2011 announced he’s running for Congress in Arizona.

Key Facts

Dr. Randy Friese, a Democratic state representative, is running to replace retiring Rep. Ann Kirkpatrick (D-Ariz.) in the state’s Second Congressional District.

Friese tweeted that “life-saving gun reform” and “putting this pandemic behind us” were two of his top priorities.

Friese was first elected to the state legislature in 2015, and became one of the body’s top voices on gun reform.

While Giffords and her husband, Sen. Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.), have not endorsed Friese’s House run, the two supported him in his 2015 race.

Key Background

Arizona’s second district includes Tucson and is one of the less-competitive districts in Arizona. Kirkpatrick carried the district with over 55% of the vote in 2020, but President Joe Biden won the state by less than one percentage point. Republicans, meanwhile, plan to make a big play for the seat. In February, the National Republican Congressional Committee announced 47 Democratic-held seats they’ll target in 2022—and that includes AZ-2. NRCC Chair Tom Emmer told reporters last month that he intends to “make sure every voter is aware of their socialist agenda” and “that’s going to be bad news for House Democrats.” Democrats currently hold a 219-211 majority in the House.

Crucial Quote

“With our democracy under attack by insurrectionists in the middle of the worst healthcare crisis in a century, I’m not about to let some right-wing Trump Republican win this congressional seat,” Friese said in his announcement video.

Tangent

Friese’s announcement comes after back-to-back mass shootings. On Monday, a gunman killed 10 people at a grocery store in Boulder, Colo., and last week, a man killed eight people, including six Asian women, during a string of shootings at Atlanta-area massage parlors. Biden has since called for Congress to pass gun reform legislation, including a ban on assault weapons and an expansion of background checks.