Chuck Gray has become the first candidate in the race for Arizona’s 6^th Congressional seat to sign the Taxpayer Protection Pledge. Gray, who is currently a State Senator, is vying for a seat that is being vacated by Republican incumbent Rep. Jeff Flake. Flake has announced he is running for U.S. Senate.

Gray is running against two other announced candidates for the Republican nomination. Arizona House Speaker Kirk Adams and former U.S. Congressman Matt Salmon have already entered the race with several other potential candidates considering a run. Salmon signed the Pledge on June 7, 2011. No Democrats have announced their candidacy for the seat yet.

Arizona’s 6^th Congressional district, which covers the southeast suburbs of Phoenix, is heavily Republican. Rep. Flake won the district in 2010 with 67% of the vote, 62% in 2008, 74% in 2006, 79% in 2004, and 65% in 2002. Every Republican Presidential candidate has also won the district since 2000. It seems that the winner of the Republican primary will most likely win the district handily.

By signing the Pledge, Gray commits to the taxpayers of Arizona that he will “oppose any and all efforts to increase the marginal income tax rates for individuals and/or businesses … and oppose any net reduction or elimination of deductions and credits, unless matched dollar for dollar by further reducing tax rates.”

Upon Gray signing the Pledge, ATR’s President Grover Norquist had this to say:

I want to congratulate Sen.. Gray for taking the Taxpayer Protection Pledge. The American people clearly showed their displeasure last November with the tax-and-spend policies coming from Washington. They want real solutions that create jobs, cut government spending, and get the economy going again.

Arizona Congressional Candidate Chuck Gray signs the Taxpayer Protection Pledge

WASHINGTON, DC— State Senator Chuck Gray has signed the Taxpayer Protection Pledge in his race for Arizona’s 6^th Congressional seat. The Pledge, sponsored by Americans for Tax Reform (ATR), commits signers to “oppose any and all efforts to increase the marginal income tax rates for individuals and/or businesses … and oppose any net reduction or elimination of deductions and credits, unless matched dollar for dollar by further reducing tax rates."

ATR has offered the Pledge to all candidates for federal office since 1987. To date, 41 U.S. Senators and 235 members of the U.S. House of Representatives have signed the Pledge. Additionally, thirteen governors and over 1,200 state legislators have signed the Pledge.

“I want to congratulate Sen. Gray for taking the Taxpayer Protection Pledge. The American people clearly showed their displeasure in November with the tax-and-spend policies coming from Washington. They want real solutions that create jobs, cut government spending and get the economy going again,” said Grover Norquist, president of ATR.

“By signing the Pledge, Chuck Gray demonstrates that he understands the problems of hard-working taxpayers nationwide, but especially the taxpayers of Arizona.”

“I challenge all candidates for federal office to make the same commitment to taxpayers by signing the Taxpayer Protection Pledge today,” Norquist continued.

[PDF of Press Release]