Women keep AZ State Senate seat with Aboud

TUCSON -- Paula Aboud (D-Tucson) was picked today by the Pima County Board of Supervisors to fill Gabby Giffords seat in the State Senate. Gabby stepped off this fall to run for congress in the seat being vacated by retiring Jim Kolbe.

Aboud seems like a good appointment. I'm glad to see some new people get in to office. No doubt Board Chair Sharon Bronson wanted to keep a qualified female in the seat, which seems fair in the interest of moving toward gender balance in politics.

House Reps. Downing and Bradley may be bummed, but they can stay in their current positions, jousting with the scorched earth zealots who run the AZ House. A thankless and frustrating responsibility, but we need them there. Sorry guys.

Keeping both Reps. in place also saves the Supes from having to pick a replacement for a vacated House seat. Steve Farley would've been good to put in the House, but he'll have to run for it. Good luck, Steve, if he runs.

Good luck, Sen. Aboud in taking on the right-wing nuts in Phoenix.

Good luck, Gabby Giffords in making it to congress.