Bivens becomes first Dem to enter Arizona Senate race

Democrats finally have an official candidate for Senate in Arizona: Don Bivens, a former Arizona Democratic Party chairman, announced a bid Monday for the seat of retiring Sen. Jon Kyl (R-Ariz.).

In a Web video announcing his candidacy, Bivens built on anti-Washington, pro-growth themes that have been dispatched by candidates of both parties during a campaign season characterized by public disdain for incumbent politicians.

"I'm not a politician," Bivens said. "I've spent my entire career in the private sector working with businesses large and small."

Bivens told supporters in the video that the current batch of politicians are preoccupied with "extreme personal ideology" and have neglected to solve real people's problems through hard work. He said he has built his legal career on finding consensus among those with diametrically opposed agendas and seeking out the type of innovative solutions sorely needed in Washington.

Although Democrats see the Senate seat in Arizona as one of their strongest pickup opportunities in 2012, they have held off on running candidates until now, out of deference to Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-Ariz.), who was considering running for the seat before she was shot in the head during a January attack.

Giffords is still recovering, and has not yet made a decision about running for the open Senate seat or running for reelection in the House. A Democratic strategist in southern Arizona told The Hill that Giffords's staff is encouraging any Democrats interested in the Senate seat to enter the race.

While Bivens is the only Democrat to have announced, former U.S. Surgeon General Richard Carmona and others are said to be mulling a run. On the GOP side, Rep. Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.) is considered the front-runner for the nomination.

A prominent attorney in Phoenix, Bivens is a former president of the State Bar of Arizona and served on the board of a local unit of Planned Parenthood.