TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) -- Gabrielle Giffords and Tim Bee have been friends for a long time.

They were classmates at Tanque Verde Elementary School. They performed together in the school band - Bee playing the trombone and Giffords the trumpet and French horn. They served together for a time in the Arizona Legislature.

Now, Giffords is a moderate Democratic member of Congress from Arizona's 8th Congressional District, and Bee, a Republican who is Arizona Senate president, wants her job.

They'll face off in November, and for the second time in two years the race in the 8th will be a focal point as Republicans and Democrats vie for control of a seat that was solidly the GOP's until Rep. Jim Kolbe retired in 2006 after 11 terms.

"The NRCC (National Republican Congressional Committee) continues to classify our race as one of the top challenger races for the Republican Party nationally," Bee said. "That's because they believe we have a great opportunity to take the seat back."

Giffords, 38, has a significant edge in funds raised and currently available to finance her campaign, though Bee, 39, says he's pleased with his fundraising pace. Both say the race will be very competitive but issue-oriented.

"I have very warm feelings toward him," Giffords said.

"I look at this race as a competition of ideas," similar to their experiences in school and the Arizona legislature, Bee said. "I anticipate a very friendly race on the issues."

Giffords raised more than $562,000 in the three-month period that ended June 30 and nearly $2.5 million since her first election. Bee's campaign attracted nearly $392,000 in donations in the latest three months, and $1.1 million to date.

In the latest finance reports to the Federal Election Commission, Giffords reported having $2 million on hand and Bee more than $687,000.

What Giffords has amassed is "very impressive," but she's not a shoo-in, said Northern Arizona University political scientist Fred Solop.

"Tim Bee is certainly someone who can give her a strong run for all that money. He has a track record," Solop said. But "the momentum is on Gabrielle Giffords' side, absolutely. I think she'll hold onto her seat."

On Friday, President Bush will be at a $1,000-a-plate private breakfast fundraiser for Bee at a posh Tucson home that should cut into Giffords' money edge.

The president is coming out "because he believes we have a chance of winning," Bee said last week. "It's a tremendous honor to have the president of the United States coming to an event for you."

Still, Bee distanced himself from Bush on issues, saying, "The president is coming to support me. I'm not hosting an event to support the president."

Giffords, a critic of Bush policy on national security, the economy and the nation's infrastructure, said he can't have it both ways.

"If you're going to bring someone out here to campaign for you, you can't divorce yourself from him," Giffords said.

Solop said Bush's appearance will bring money to Bee, but won't be all that helpful for his campaign.

"He's a lame duck, and he's not seen as very powerful at this point," Solop said. "At a political level, the message that it sends is not very strong. The fact that Bush is coming out, and for a moderate, is not going to be so helpful for Tim Bee."

He predicted that Bee would not be bringing Bush back in the fall.

Giffords said Bee will need to "stand up and take a position" on issues ranging from global warming to a proposed and hotly debated Border Patrol checkpoint proposed for a southern Arizona location she opposes.

They clash on such issues as tax cuts, right-to-work versus unions, tax breaks for oil companies, children's health insurance and reproductive choice for women.

Both take partyline stances on those issues.

Bee said he had demonstrated his ability to work with people across the political spectrum in the Legislature. He predicted that the race against Giffords won't be all that difficult. "We're going to have a good debate on the issues," he said.

And he said he'll reap votes from Arizona Sen. John McCain being atop the Arizona ballot as the Republicans' presidential candidate.

Perhaps significantly, last week Bee lost Kolbe's support as a campaign co-chairman.

Kolbe, who is gay, declined to say why he stepped down, and Bee attributed his decision to "personal things." But the decision came one week after Bee cast the decisive Arizona Senate vote for a ballot initiative to amend the state constitution, defining marriage as solely between a man and a woman.

"Kolbe's such an icon in that area that I have a hard time imagining Tim Bee winning without his support," Solop said.

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