Former U.S. Rep. Matt Salmon launched a campaign Tuesday to regain the seat he left in 2001. Salmon was elected to the House of Representatives in 1994, leaving after making a pledge to serve only three two-year terms.
Salmon is expected to be one of many Republicans running for the 6th Congressional District, which includes Gilbert, Apache Junction, Queen Creek and much of Chandler and Mesa.
Salmon gained prominence in the U.S. House for leading a revolt against former House Speaker Newt Gingrich and for honoring his self-imposed term limit. He launched an unsuccessful run for the governor’s office against Janet Napolitano in 2002, chaired the Arizona Republican Party from 2005 to 2007 and then moved his family to Washington, D.C., for a lobbying job.
Salmon played a key role in securing the release of U.S.-based academic researcher Song Yongyi from detention in China on spying charges in 2000. President Bill Clinton sent Salmon, who speaks Madarin, to lead a U.S. delegation to meet China’s president. After Salmon spoke with the Chinese leader, Yongyi was released.
Also, Salmon was a key player in passing “Aimee’s Law,” which punishes states that release rapists, murderers and child molesters who later commit crimes elsewhere.
Salmon was succeeded in Congress by Rep. Jeff Flake, who is leaving to run for the U.S. Senate seat held by the retiring Jon Kyl.
Leon Ceniceros posted at 4:06 pm on Tue, Apr 19, 2011.
IF MATT SALMON COMES OUT AGAINST ANY...ANY TYPE OF........AMNESTY FOR ILLEGAL ALIENS.......THEN HE HAS MY VOTE.
WE DON'T NEED .....ONE R.I.N.O. (Republican In Name Only)..... TO REPLACE ANOTHER (JEFF FLAKE)..........IF HE IS FOR..........AMNESTY.
Slabside posted at 4:51 pm on Tue, Apr 19, 2011.
I went to high school with Matt. I believe he will do a good job and I wish him success.
manini posted at 12:34 pm on Wed, Apr 20, 2011.
Ummmm, I guess the Mormons are trying to grab control of the State of AZ again. They got stiffed when their "Mormon Battalion" marched thru AZ in the 1800s trying to Annex the then "New Mexico/AZ Territory" in those days...until they ran into the Spanish troops at Tucson Presidio & were told to "VAMOOOSe" back to Utah. Jeff Flake is like his name sez...a FLAKE who voted for "Illegal MX Immigration & MX Drug CARTEL Criminals' AMNESTY"...along with GOP ex-Prez Jorge "No_Cajones" Bushwacker & U.S. Senator Juan "McAmnesty" McCain (R, AZ) in 2008 vote. Only U.S. Senator Jon Kyl (R, AZ) listened to his AZ constitutents NOT TO VOTE FOR AMNESTY! Matt Salmon's a GOP RINO, too, & want's cheap illegal/legal MX labor for his Mormon consituents in District 6, like FLAKEy. They both have disregarded AZ Voters personal safety issues per illegal MX Alien & Drug Cartel lawbreakers...especially those illegal MX Drug Cartel Marijuana Farmers in the Tonto National Forest, Coconino National Forest & Sitgreaves National Forest. Heck, if Mormon "Mutt" Romney runs for GOP Prez_2012, we'll have close to a 3-of-a-Kind LDS MORMONs running AZ & the U.S.A. BTW, "Mutt" Romney would become the 1st Mexican-American-Mormon U.S. Prez if elected in 2012...his mother was born & raised in Chihuahua, MX...LOL!!!...Arriba!!! Por MexAmeriCanada!!!!!