David Schweikert has proven that running for political office is anything but a solitary endeavor. Consider the effects his just-launched congressional campaign has had on the women of his life – his wife and his mother.

Schweikert, 45, was married for the first time just a year ago. He told me that his new wife Joyce encouraged him to run in a crowded Republican field in Arizona’s 5^th Congressional District, but she might not have been fully just aware what a congressional campaign meant for the happy couple.

Schweikert said, “She’s just now had her first taste of some of the carpet-bombing in the blogs and other things. I’m trying to say, ‘Look, this is how our democracy works today. It’s dysfunctional, full-contact sport.’”

Just keep repeating this: For better or worse. For better or worse. For better or worse.

Also, Schweikert’s mother Lee has been struggling to figure out why he decided to run. They’ve had a number of conversations on the topic.

He said, “I’m starting to believe my mother’s theory. I’m an adopted kid, so she likes this theory. She says, ‘You have a genetic defect.’ And it’s not her fault. You know how must of us, when we’re little kids growing up, sometimes say, ‘I sure hope I’m adopted and not actually related to you!’ In this case, it’s just the reverse. My mother’s going, ‘I’m so happy you’re adopted and not related to me!’ That’s actually 100 percent true.”

And election day is still 12 months away…

This entry was posted on Monday, November 12th, 2007 at 3:38 pm and is filed under CD 5 race, David Schweikert. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.