A once-in-a-generation opportunity for Democrats to grab a congressional seat in the heart of the Valley is quickly becoming one of the nastiest races of the 2012 cycle.

Former Arizona Democratic Party Chairman Andrei Cherny raised more money than his two opponents combined in the hotly contested Democratic primary for Arizona’s 9th Congressional District. Cherny’s $431,000, which he raised in about seven weeks, dwarfed Sen. David Schapira’s $131,000 and left former Sen. Kyrsten Sinema in a distant second place in the fundraising race with $258,000.

Andrei Cherny reported $430,000 raised in just seven weeks of campaigning in Arizona’s 9th Congressional District, an impressive number rivaled by few candidates in the entire campaign cycle.

One of Andrei Cherny’s top campaign volunteers took to Twitter on Thursday to criticize the Democratic congressional hopeful’s opponents for running in a district where they don’t live.

Paradise Valley Town Councilman Vernon Parker will make a “major announcement” on Wednesday and is expected to jump into the GOP primary for Arizona’s 9th Congressional District.

Retired Air Force pilot Wendy Rogers is the fourth Republican seeking her party's nomination in Arizona's newly created 9th Congressional district.

After 18 years at the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors, Don Stapley is setting his sights on Congress. Stapley said he filed paperwork Tuesday with the Federal Election Commission to run in the 9th Congressional District, which covers parts of Chandler, Mesa, Phoenix and Tempe.

Andrei Cherny announced his candidacy for the 9th Congressional District, a move expected since his resignation last week as chairman of the Arizona Democratic Party.

Arizona Democratic Party headquarters is sparsely populated these days after most of its employees left for congressional and U.S. Senate campaigns.

The Arizona Democratic Party is about to have a lot of empty desks, as most of the party’s staffers are reportedly either on their way out the door to Dem campaigns or have already moved on.