Cardon’s been in the Senate race for six months, but it doesn’t look like the needle has budged. A poll released today by Public Policy Polling shows Flake with a 56-7 lead among likely primary voters, and is virtually unchanged from November.

Congressman Jeff Flake continued his fundraising dominance in the U.S. Senate race, reporting $607,000 raised in the fourth quarter of 2011.

Mesa businessman Wil Cardon branded himself as the anti-politician, an outsider who lacks a “politician’s polish,” as he put it, during a Nov. 15 speech at his new campaign headquarters near Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport.

But the U.S. Senate candidate who is challenging Congressman Jeff Flake for the Republican nomination appears anything but politically naïve. In fact, he sounded very much like a politician.

Cardon may not have the resume of a professional politician, but he already has a professional campaign staff. Cardon hired two consultants – Constantin Querard and former RNC Chief of Staff Michael Leavitt.

At a press event today to kick off the official announcement of his U.S. Senate campaign – which began in August – Wil Cardon hit Flake everywhere he could.

Mesa businessman Wil Cardon is beginning a statewide tour to promote his candidacy in Arizona's 2012 U.S. Senate race.

Former Surgeon General Richard Carmona announced that he will seek the Democratic nomination for the U.S. Senate.

“Like most Americans, it’s clear to me that Washington is broken and it is time for honest people with real world experience to step forward to solve the problems we are facing and get our economy going again,” Carmona said in a press statement.

Wil Cardon opened his U.S. Senate campaign with a vow to pay his own way, but soon backed away from that promise and committed to traditional fundraising. The Republican Senate hopeful’s first campaign finance report shows he did both.

Former Arizona Democratic Party Chairman Don Bivens said he won’t be deterred from a U.S. Senate run by other possible candidates and likely put to rest whatever fleeting rumors still remain that U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords would jump into the race.

It’s been known for months that Rep. Jeff Flake, R-Mesa, would seek the Senate seat being vacated by Republican Sen. Jon Kyl.

But when Mesa businessman Wil Cardon announced Friday that he will also run for Kyl’s seat, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints suddenly had the two frontrunners in the race.

Is Arizona about to have its own “Mormon Moment”?