Political consultants say Democrats running for a Phoenix-area congressional seat vacated by Republican Trent Franks' resignation amid allegations of sexual harassment face an uphill climb due to the GOP's strong registration edge and their own party's likely focus on other Arizona races.
The Arizona Capitol Times reports Dr. Hiral Tipirneni, an emergency room physician, and Brianna Westbrook, a transgender woman working in the automotive industry, are in the running to replace Franks in the 8th Congressional District special election.
Both hope to ride their image as political outsiders making their first runs for office.
But the special election already features an increasingly crowded Republican field, which includes state Sen. Steve Montenegro and former legislators Phil Lovas and Bob Stump, with others expected to join the race.
