Tucson pastor running for Congress in District 7

A Tucson pastor is vying for the Republican nomination in Arizona's District 7 Congressional race.

Gene Chewning has never held political office before but said he was not satisfied with the other candidates and wanted to step up.

Rep. Raul Grijalva, D-Ariz., has represented the area in the U.S. House of Representatives since 2003. If re-elected, it will be his third term.

In addition to all of Yuma County, District 7 includes portions of Pima, Maricopa, Pinal, La Paz and Santa Cruz counties.

Grijalva is facing competition this year from Chewning and Republican Joseph Sweeney of Tucson. A Yuma man, Harley Meyer, is also running as an Independent.

Chewning said that he wants to give Republicans an alternate choice.

"Basically, I got tired of complaining and decided to do something about it. I don't think that Joe Sweeney is the best man for the office and I don't think he can possibly beat Grijalva. I don't like Grijalva's stances on the issues," Chewning said.

Chewning was born in Tucson and lived there until he went into the U.S. Navy in 1969, when he said he served in combat during the Vietnam War.

He is now the pastor of the Living Word Assembly of God church in Tucson.

He said the most important issues facing the area are illegal immigration, economic development and education.

He said he supports legal immigration and that his own wife is an immigrant from Finland. But he added securing the U.S.-Mexican border should be a priority.

"I think immigration has made our country strong. ... I'm pastoring a church that's mostly Hispanic and I see their jobs being taken away or their wages undercut by illegals," Chewning said. "On the humanitarian side, you have people dying in the desert and then you have coyotes mistreating people in bringing them across the border, drug smugglers as well, and the possibility of terrorism."

Though he does not live in Yuma he said he is aware of the county's concerns and would work to encourage local products, like the oil refinery under development near Wellton.

"I'm not a strong partisan but I think that, at least in Pima County, we are taxing industry out of the market," he said.

He has the support of the Yuma County Republican Party, said Chairman Joseph "Mel" Melchionne. He said they have not endorsed Sweeney in the past and will not do so this year, either.

"Mr. Sweeney has run for office many times in the past," Melchionne said. "I will not support him. If individual Republicans wish to support him, that is their business."

Chewning is preparing to face Sweeney in the September state primary. The winner of the Republican nomination will go on to the November general election.