Democrat Nancy Young Wright, a former state lawmaker and Amphi School Board member, has taken another step closer to running for the Pima County Board of Supervisors next year for District 1 seat now held by the retiring Supervisor Ann Day.

Potential Republican candidates include Vic Williams, who was Wright's seatmate in LD26 for several years (they don't get along too well); Stuart McDaniel, a mortgage broker who worked on the campaign of unsuccessful congressional candidate Jesse Kelly in 2010; Ally Miller, a Tea Party activist; and Charlie Bowles, vice president of sales and marketing for Diamond Ventures.

Here's the press release from Wright:

Nancy Young Wright has filed an exploratory committee for the office of Pima County Supervisor, District 1. The seat is currently held by Supervisor Ann Day, who is retiring. The election will be held Nov. 6, 2012.

Young Wright served for three years as a state representative for Legislative District 26, which covers 400 square miles in northwest Pima County. During her time in the Legislature, she worked successfully across the aisle on bipartisan bills involving foster care, local fire districts, law enforcement and animal welfare.

“Arizona and Pima County are facing important challenges. Now, more than ever, we must put partisanship aside and solve problems,” she said. “The hard-working families in this district deserve a supervisor who will be a dedicated, common-sense fighter for their values and quality of life."

Young Wright’s campaign priorities will focus on:
• Job creation and economic development.
• Promoting strong, responsive law enforcement.
• Promoting strong public schools.
• Protecting the area’s water supplies and natural desert.

She also served for 10 years on the Amphitheater Unified School District Governing Board and has been deeply involved in community service in District 1 regarding education, literacy, parks trails and open space.

Young Wright and her husband, Allen, have lived in District 1 for 28 years. Their two children attended Amphitheater Public Schools. She is a fourth-generation southwesterner whose grandparents and great-grandparents were homesteaders in New Mexico. The family ran a country grocery store for nearly 90 years.

“I understand firsthand how important it is to foster an environment that helps our local businesses,” she said. “I also believe we must support our universities, public schools and job-training initiatives. We all have a stake in turning this economy around.”