Friese drops out of race for Tucson-area US House seat

TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) — State Rep. Randy Friese of Tucson is dropping out of the race to replace retiring Democratic Congresswoman Ann Kirkpatrick. Friese is a trauma surgeon who has served in the Arizona House since 2015. He said in a statement Thursday that he’s not ready to give up his career in medicine. He says the latest surge of coronavirus cases has made it hard for him to balance his obligations to the hospital, his patients and his congressional campaign. Friese treated then-U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords after she was critically wounded in the Jan. 8, 2011, mass shooting in Tucson.