CARMONA ENTERS U.S. SENATE RACE

posted by Andrea Kelly

Democrat Richard Carmona is running for U.S. Senate.

He's the second Democrat to enter the race, following Don Bivens.

The former U.S. Surgeon General’s name has been tossed around for months as a potential candidate, as Arizona Democrats search for a candidate to field in the U.S. Senate race next year.

Sen. Jon Kyl is not seeking reelection, leaving the state with a rare open seat.

Democrats have been hesitant to enter the race, with several potential candidates, including Carmona, saying they wanted to wait to see what U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords will do. She was rumored to be interested in the Senate race before she was critically wounded in the Jan. 8 shooting.

Several Republicans have announced their candidacy. The most high profile Republican in the race so far is Congressman Jeff Flake, and developer Wil Cardon is also running.