ARIZONA: Homocon Paul Babeu Wins US House Primary

The Associated Press reports:

Pinal County Sheriff Paul Babeu has outpaced four challengers to win the Republican nomination in the sprawling 1st Congressional District, which includes much of Arizona outside the Tucson and Phoenix metro areas. Babeu’s victory earns him the right to try to wrest the district from Democratic control. Incumbent Ann Kirkpatrick is vacating the seat to run for U.S. Senate, and Democrat Tom O’Halleran easily won the Democratic primary Tuesday. Six Republicans appeared on the primary ballot, although Arizona House Speaker David Gowan suspended his campaign and threw his support behind Springerville rancher and businessman Gary Kiehne.

Babeu earned his first mention here on JMG years ago when he was outed via his Adam4Adam profile. Earlier this month he was endorsed by gay former GOP US House Rep. Jim Kolbe, who was outed in 1996 after his vote for DOMA, although in 2013 Kolbe was a signatory to an amicus brief in support of the repeal of Prop 8. Babeu has stated that marriage should be left for the states to decide. Earlier this year the Phoenix New Times reported that Babeu is currently living with a 22 year-old whom he met in 2012.

PREVIOUSLY ON JMG: In March 2012 the Mexican national ex-boyfriend of Babeu sued him for $1M, alleging that Babeu had threatened to have him deported if the boyfriend were to out him. Babeu’s run for the US House fizzled shortly thereafter, but not before it was revealed that he had spoken at an event staged by a group that wants to end illegal and most legal immigration and wants to end automatic citizenship for children born in the United States. Last year Babeu led a mob of raging teabaggers as they screamed abuse at migrant children being transported on federal buses.