Clinton plans to stump for Carmona

Former President Bill Clinton, a Democratic Party superstar and the last Democrat to carry Arizona in a presidential election, is set to headline a Wednesday rally in Tempe for U.S. Senate candidate Richard Carmona.

The "Get Out The Vote" event is scheduled for 8 p.m. on Arizona State University's Sun Devil Performance Lawn, 650 S. Athletes Place, Carmona's campaign announced Saturday.

Early voting for the Nov. 6 election begins Thursday.

The rally is free but anybody wanting to attend must register online at carmonaforarizona.com/early-vote.

Carmona, a former U.S. surgeon general who is running as a Democrat, is locked in a tough fight against six-term Republican U.S. Rep. Jeff Flake for the retiring GOP U.S. Sen. Jon Kyl's seat.

An automated poll of 595 likely Arizona voters conducted last week by the Democratic company Public Policy Polling indicated the race is still close, but showed Carmona leading Flake for the first time, 45percent to 43percent, with 12percent undecided.

The poll's margin of error was plus or minus 4 percentage points.

The poll has energized the Carmona campaign and his supporters.

Clinton defeated Republican challenger Bob Dole in 1996 to become the only Democrat to carry Arizona since President Harry Truman did so in 1948.

Third-party candidate Ross Perot also was on the ballot in 1996.

In 2006, Clinton stumped in Arizona for Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Jim Pederson, who wound up losing his hard-fought battle to unseat Kyl.

In other developments:

Carmona and Flake are expected to square off several times in the next few weeks.

On Wednesday, the candidates will appear before The Arizona Republic's editorial board for a 1:30 p.m. meeting that will be live-streamed on azcentral.com.

At 5 p.m., they will debate Libertarian candidate Marc Victor on Channel 8's (KAET) "Arizona Horizon" program.

Flake and Carmona will meet again Oct. 15 for a 6 p.m. debate on Tucson's Channel 6 (KUAT); Oct. 17 for an 11 a.m. debate on KJZZ (91.5 FM) radio's "Here and Now" show; and Oct. 25 for a 12:30 p.m. debate in front of an audience at Arizona Western College in Yuma that will air later on local TV and radio.

U.S. Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., the 2008 GOP presidential nominee, praised Republican Mitt Romney's performance in his Wednesday debate against President Barack Obama.

Four years ago, McCain, R-Ariz., debated Obama three times.

"The difference is this time he had a record that he had to defend," McCain told The Republic.

Nowicki is The Republic's national political reporter. Follow his blog at azdc.azcentral.com.

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