Today CD5 Republican congressional candidate Jim Ogsbury received the endorsement of former U.S. Rep. Jim Kolbe (R-8) in the five-way primary.

"Jim Ogsbury is a principled conservative with deep Arizona roots and an understanding of the issues that face our state and our nation,” said Kolbe.  “He has the toughness and the experience needed to get the Congress working for the interests of people again."

Ogsbury responded with kind words of his own toward the former congressman.

"I am sincerely grateful to sreceive the support of a statesman like Jim Kolbe,” said Ogsbury. “Congressman Kolbe served his district honorably for more than two decades, advancing free trade, protecting military institutions in his district and attending to the needs of his constituents.”

“I can only hope to serve the residents of the Fifth District as admirably as Congressman Kolbe served his," Ogsbury added.

Kolbe retired from Congress in 2006, and has spent a good deal of time this election season helping Republican causes, especially the campaign of state Sen. Pres. Tim Bee, who is challenging Kolbe's successor, Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, to retake the CD8 seat for the GOP. Kolbe flies to Washington, D.C. tomorrow to attend a fundraiser for Bee among top Republican officials in Congress.