Tucson Citizen mulls likelihood that AZ will have split delegation

From the Tucson Citizen:

PHOENIX - It's been a dozen years since Arizona sent a delegation to Congress that included as many Democrats as Republicans.

Come election day, pollsters say it may happen again. Surveys show Arizona voters are so frustrated with the Bush administration and the GOP-dominated Congress that many are willing to vote for Democrats just to protest.

Their anger likely will boost Democrats Harry Mitchell and Gabrielle Giffords in their bids for two districts currently held by Republicans. If both win, and U.S. Reps. Ed Pastor and Raul Grijalva keep their seats as expected, the state delegation would split with four representatives from each party.

"Right now, it looks like that's exactly what's going to happen," said Earl de Berge, director of the Behavior Research Center in Phoenix, who has tapped sentiments of Arizona voters all year through his Rocky Mountain Poll.

"Arizona has been moving toward being a swing state for years," de Berge said. "It's very clear that independents in this state really are independent."