Arizona Rep. Randy Friese ends congressional bid, says he can’t quit medicine during COVID-19 pandemic – By Ronald J. Hansen (Arizona Republic) / Sept 3 2021
Democrat Randy Friese has abruptly ended his congressional bid for a seat in the Tucson area, citing a need to tend to his duties as a doctor amid the surge in COVID-19.
Friese, a member of the state House of Representatives, was the leading fundraiser among three fellow members of the Legislature who were vying for their party’s nomination to replace the retiring Rep. Ann Kirkpatrick, D-Ariz.
Friese is a trauma surgeon who gained prominence in 2011 when he was among the team of doctors who treated then-Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, D-Ariz., after she was shot in the head in a massacre near Tucson that killed six and wounded a dozen others.
“As the Delta variant surges across our region, it has become an increasing challenge to fulfill my obligations to the hospital, my patients, and the campaign amidst a run for Congress,” Friese said in a statement. “I’ve always loved medicine and patient care, and I’ve come to the realization that I’m not ready to give that up.”
