The primary is behind us, and Labor Day weekend has come and gone. Now is the time, we’re told, that the average voter starts to tune in.
To help out Mr. and Ms. Average Voter, we’ve assembled a list of Southern Arizona’s most interesting races for state and federal office. They’re not all competitive, but they’re all contests that should generate some fireworks in the eight weeks between now and Nov. 2.
Congressional District 8: Giffords vs. Kelly
The national spotlight will be on Southern Arizona’s Congressional District 8, as political prognosticators tune in to see whether a Tea Party favorite can knock out a two-term Democrat in a district that leans Republican.
Republican Jesse Kelly, a political newcomer who toppled establishment favorite and former state lawmaker Jonathan Paton in the GOP primary, will paint incumbent Democrat Gabrielle Giffords as an out-of-touch lapdog of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi who supported the health-care reform bill, the stimulus package and cap-and-trade legislation.
Team Giffords has already started responding by pointing out the extreme positions that Kelly took during the campaign to win the support of anti-government Tea Partiers: his plans to sharply reduce benefits for future Social Security and Medicare recipients; his support for massive tax cuts for corporations and the wealthiest Americans; his opposition to the minimum wage; and his hostility toward government employees. He has described a government worker as someone “who lives and sucks off the taxpayer. They don’t put anything into the system. They suck off of the system.”
Given that Giffords has close to $2 million for her campaign while Kelly spent most of his funds to win the primary, she’ll be in a better position to deliver her message. The big question: Will Kelly be able to persuade Republicans to pour money into his campaign to counter Giffords’ advertising? And are CD 8 voters so angry at the Democratic Party that they will support a candidate far to the right of Republicans they have rejected in the past?
Congressional District 7: Grijalva vs. McClung
Congressman Raúl Grijalva has a huge Democratic voter-registration advantage, but that hasn’t stopped scrappy Republican Ruth McClung from embarking on a long-shot challenge to the four-term Democrat. Look for McClung to portray Grijalva as an out-of-touch leftist who called for a boycott of his own state, while Grijalva will work to get out the troops that have kept in him in public office for more than two decades.
Libertarian George Keane is also on the November ballot.
U.S. Senate
U.S. Sen. John McCain showed that he’s as cold-blooded as they come as he spent $20 million dispatching Republican J.D. Hayworth. The big question: Is Team McCain equally determined to destroy Democrat Rodney Glassman, who emerged battered from a tough primary fight that saw the guns of his opponents directed at him while his campaign staff fell apart? Or will McCain be a kinder, gentler statesman, because he doesn’t view Glassman as a threat in a red-trending year?
Time will tell, but Glassman has his own set of questions to answer as he moves into the general election. At the top of the list: How does he salvage his reputation for a future career in politics? And does the Glassman family decide that his political reputation is worth investing the dollars that had reportedly been promised to the Arizona Democratic Party to boost the statewide ticket?
Libertarian David Nolan and Green Jerry Joslyn are also on the November ballot.
Governor
Gov. Jan Brewer had a defining moment last week when she stumbled into the deafening silence that has propelled her to YouTube stardom.
But can Democrat Terry Goddard turn Brewer’s gaffe into game-changer? Despite her struggles on the stump, Brewer’s popularity has skyrocketed since she signed SB 1070, the Arizona immigration law that put the state in the international spotlight this summer—so much so that her serious primary foes abandoned their campaigns long before Election Day.
While Goddard has statewide name ID after two terms as Arizona’s attorney general, he’ll have a tough time changing the subject from immigration back to the economy—and even if he does, he has to persuade voters that the state’s problems are the result of the GOP-controlled Arizona Legislature and not the fault of the Obama administration and a Democratic Congress.
Libertarian Barry Hess and Green Larry Gist are also on the November ballot.
Attorney General
Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Horne narrowly survived a bruising GOP primary with former Maricopa County Attorney Andrew Thomas. Now he’ll face Felecia Rotellini, a former state prosecutor who narrowly won her Democratic campaign for the nomination. Look for both candidates to focus on fighting border crime.
Arizona Treasurer
The normally sleepy race for state treasurer could get a lot more interesting this year as Andrei Cherny, a Democrat who served in the Clinton administration, starts to spend the half-million dollars he has stockpiled for the race. Republican Doug Ducey, a political newcomer who made a fortune by selling Cold Stone Creamery franchises, has plenty of his own money to spend on the race, but he faces a symbolic problem: his failure to pay property taxes on his own home. In any other race, the scandal would be a sidelight, but it gets to the heart of the office: The state treasurer is in charge of managing the state’s many bank accounts.
Legislative District 25: Alvarez vs. Griffin
Democratic incumbent Sen. Manny Alvarez will try to hang on to his seat against Republican Gail Griffin, a real-estate broker and property-rights activist who served two terms in the House of Representatives and has built a formidable political network in the swing district that includes Marana, Sierra Vista and most of the Arizona-Mexico border.
Over in the House, incumbent Rep. Pat Fleming and former state lawmaker Ruben Ortega are the Democratic team against Republican Rep. David Stevens and Peggy Judd, a Willcox Tea Party organizer and first-time candidate.
Legislative District 26: Melvin vs. Cage
Republican Sen. Al Melvin is facing a rematch from Democratic challenger Cheryl Cage in this swing district, which stretches from the Catalina foothills to the retirement community of SaddleBrooke. Last time out, in a Democratic-trending year nationwide, Melvin beat Cage by less than 2,000 votes. Cage hopes to take him out this year by emphasizing Melvin’s record of cutting education, slicing health care programs and attempting to expand nuclear power in Arizona.
“I think that people are understanding a little bit more (about) Mr. Melvin’s really extreme views,” she says. “And they realize that he’s not a good fit for this district.”
Melvin hopes his vote for SB 1070, his vice chairmanship on the powerful Appropriations Committee and his stance against everything socialist will carry him to re-election in November.
“(My) position is to fight the secular socialism of the Democratic Party of the Obama administration,” Melvin says. “And we know that the Democratic Party of Arizona wants to duplicate everything the Obama administration is doing at the federal level.”
In the House of Representatives, Democratic Rep. Nancy Young Wright will fight to keep her seat from two Republicans: incumbent Rep. Vic Williams and political newcomer Terri Proud, who follows in the Melvin mode of wanting to cut education spending, expand gun rights and generally shrink government.
Legislative District 28 Senate: Aboud vs. Krino vs. Downing vs. Ewoldt
Midtown Tucson’s Legislative District 28 is typically a safe haven for Democrats, but this year, Democratic Sen. Paula Aboud is facing two left-leaning independents in the race—former Democratic state lawmaker Ted Downing and Green Party activist Dave Ewoldt. Seeing an opportunity to capitalize on a split Democratic base, Republican Greg Krino successfully ran a write-in campaign to land a spot on the November ballot.
“I think if there is any time when a Republican could get elected in District 28, it’s going to be this time,” says Krino, a former Air Force A-10 fighter pilot and a UA law-school graduate who recently took the bar exam.
Legislative District 30 Senate: Antenori vs. Camenisch
Republican Sen. Frank Antenori made plenty of headlines in his first two years at the Arizona Legislature. A fierce anti-government crusader, Antenori voted to restrict abortion “to protect either our wives or our daughters,” tried to pick a fight with the federal government over light-bulb regulation, and wanted to force anyone receiving government assistance to give up HBO.
Those proposals—along with his push to reduce eligibility for health-care coverage for children and the indigent, eliminate economic-development programs, and further cut taxes—have made him a star within the Republican Party. Antenori didn’t even break a sweat in his easy victory over Marian McClure in the Republican primary.
The former Green Beret and current Raytheon employee will now face Democrat Todd Camenisch in the GOP-leaning district that includes eastern Tucson, Green Valley and Sierra Vista.
A Navy vet who works as a UA pharmacology and toxicology professor and serves on the Catalina Foothills School District governing board, Camenisch is undoubtedly the underdog. But the race promises plenty of colorful commentary from Antenori as he defends his record.
The Rest of the Ballot
Secretary of State: Republican Ken Bennett, a former state lawmaker who was appointed Arizona Secretary of State by Gov. Jan Brewer in 2009, will face Democrat Chris Deschene, who has demonstrated his get-out-the-vote skills in Native American country.
State Superintendent of Public Instruction: Republican Sen. John Huppenthal faces former teacher and union activist Penny Kotterman in the race to head up the Arizona Department of Education.
Arizona Corporation Commission: Tucson-area Democratic lawmakers David Bradley and Jorge Luis Garcia face Republicans Gary Pierce, who is seeking another term on the ACC, and Brenda Burns, a former state Senate president.
State Mining Inspector: Incumbent Republican Joe Hart faces Democrat Manny Cruz.
Legislative District 27, House of Representatives: After the eight-way House Democratic primary, former state lawmaker Sally Ann Gonzales and Macario Saldate face Republican Robert Compton, Green Party candidate Kent Solberg and independent Gene Chewning in this heavily Democratic district, which covers the west side of Tucson and includes the University of Arizona. Democrat Olivia Cajero Bedford faces no opposition in her move from the House to the Senate.
Legislative District 28, House of Representatives: Democratic Rep. Steve Farley, the House minority policy leader, and former Tucson City Council member Bruce Wheeler face Republican Ken Smalley in this Dem-heavy district.
Legislative District 29, House of Representatives: Democratic Reps. Matt Heinz and Daniel Patterson face Republican Pat Kilburn in this heavily Democratic district. State Sen. Linda Lopez is running unopposed.
Legislative District 30, House of Representatives: Democrat Andrea Dalessandro taking a second shot in this GOP-heavy district. She’ll face incumbent Reps. Ted Vogt (who was appointed to the office earlier this year) and David Gowan, who easily prevailed in a crowded primary field two weeks ago. A retired accountant who wants to put her budget skills to work at the Capitol, Dalessandro boasts that she came within 5,000 votes of winning a House seat in 2008. But she’s likely to find her platform harder to sell in a year that’s shaping up to be rough for Democrats.
This article appears in Sep 9-15, 2010.
Todd Camenisch in Legislative District 30 is a strong candidate. He can do things his opponent can’t do, such as balance a budget in a tought economy. Camenisch not only worked in a bipartisan manner to balance the Catalina Foothills School District budget, but did so in a way that kept resources in the classroom. Plus the district is lowering the property tax rate because of smart financial planning. I’ll take Todd’s leadership over his opponent who will continue to follow Phoenix politicians who did not balance the state budget and burdened us with a bunch of one-time maneuvers, such as selling state buildings. To learn more about Todd Camenisch, visit the campaign website at http://www.AZVote4Todd.com
If Mr. Antenori is “a fierce anti-government crusader” as you say, why is he running for office? I think we should elect someone who wants to work within the system to strengthen it – not someone who wants to destroy it. I’ve seen the Camenisch commercials – he’s a thoughtful, reasonable guy. What a shame that this makes him the underdog.
Furious Frank has to go. I’m an independent and my wifes a republican, we will NOT be voting for him. I heard Camenische was an independent up until recently, he’s got my vote, we’ll see about my wife!
I am strongly opposed to the reelection of Frank Antenori. He has only distrust and contempt for government yet has spent most of his adult life drawing a salary from government dollars- in the military and as a Raytheon employee, and now as a state legislator. Irony, anyone? His contempt for the rights of women in Arizona was best exemplified by his comment in reference to the legislation restricting abortion: “There is a duty to protect either our wives or our daughters from making decisions that may come back to haunt them further down the road in their lives. “
Women do not need “protection” in 2010- our bodies are our own and we have the right to do with them what we choose. Send this neanderthal back to the cave from which he came and send a reasonable candidate like Todd Camenisch to Phoenix.
Frank Antenori has been completely unresponsive to the people he represents. I live in district 30 and have repeatedly sent him emails and have asked to be put on his mailing list and have received NOTHING back! That is enough for me – if he can’t be bothered to respond to his constituents and explain his positions then I will not vote for him. Camenisch has done a good job on the school board and I think he will do a great job in the legislature.
Gee, I appreciate it that Todd Camenisch was acknowledged as candidate in the LD30 State Senate race! In the future, I hope you can print some of Todd’s common-sense solutions to the myriad of problems we face in Arizona to balance out your expected “colorful commentary” from Frank. We know about Antenori, please help us learn more about this compelling candidate!
Frank Antenori is a star in the Repuublican Party because he railed agaist light bulbs? To encourage people to give up HBO? Hey, why not Showtime? Because that’s all he cares about, being the show! His stunts are why he’s the Republican favorite, because he’s a media magnet! He brings attention to the Party. Whatever it takes to take attention AWAY from his opponents.
Todd Camenisch is a brilliant, articulate guy who leads a modest life and wants to make a difference. He does not want to make a career out of politics. He wants to put the State of Arizona on the right track. He cares about the issues.
Frank Antenori cares about controling women, fighting about incandescent lightbulbs, and the choices people make in the privacy of their own home. He is not anti-government. He is about increasing government’s role in our lives. He is a fraud. To the fine people of LD 30…do not send Frank Antenori back to the legislature. You can’t expect to get different results by doing the same thing over and over. Arizona needs a change! Elect Todd Camenisch!
I’d like to chime in with a comment on the House contest in LD 30. Through June 30, Ted Vogt had received more money from Dick Cheney and 4 Rumsfelds than from all his in-state contributors. As for David Gowan, like Antenori he has spent a full term declining to respond to constituents’ correspondence. Before claiming to have been the House sponsor of SB 1070, his brag was having gained free fishing licenses and a day [or was it a week] for Arizona’s Boy Scouts. Nothing for Girl Scouts, however. My vote, and I’ll cast just one, goes gladly to the one qualified candidate, Andrea Dalessandro, who knows more about the state, its people and their needs, after three + years on the campaign trail than either of her opponents ever will. Vogt won’t stay around long enough to learn and there’s no credible evidence that Gowan is a learner.
Dr. Todd Camenisch is not only an accomplished medical research scientist who in his work must seek out and deal with facts and truths, he’s a former Marine Corps combat field medic, school board member, university educator and advisor to U of A students. As a Navy Reservist who has actually served at our southern border and as a hunter who has hunted there, he is fully informed about the problems there. That is why he believes that SB1070 does not go far enough. While the SB1070 law does nothing to secure our border, it does impose new demands and a de facto stiff, unfunded mandate on our local law enforcement.
Todd Camenisch believes in doing more than the big tough talking of Antenori and his lock step kowtowing to his Phoenix-based Republican bosses. Todd believes in serving southern Arizonans by doing something meaningful in securing the border, something that Antenori and his Phoenix bosses would never do – provide real commitment to our local law enforcement organizations by increasing state funding to them. Frank Antenori bragged that he’s not a Tucsonan. He’s correct, he’s tied to the hips of Phoenix bosses.
Frank Antenori says he voted for only small cuts to Arizona education, something like 2-4 percent. Todd Camenisch knows the truth. It’s more like 35 percent. Frank Antenori has no commitment to education. Todd Camenisch believes in real support of Arizona businesses and jobs development. Frank Antenori believes in punishing businesses by voting for onerous penalties on those who through no fault of their own have undocumented workers. Frank Antenori voted to cut support of commercial development.
Todd Camenisch is devoting his career to education and economic opportunities for all Arizonans.
While Frank Antenori is a verbose braggart and ideologue who attacks and degrades those who do not follow his extremisms, Dr. Camenisch is a solid citizen and problem solver who works with all stakeholders. To improve Arizona, contribute to and vote for Dr. Todd Camenisch. http://www.AZVote4Todd.com
gvjim
Frank Antenori has consistently voted to cut funding for public education. He has spoken publically about favoring more cuts to our universities. Even his boss at Raytheon, Taylor Lawrence has written publically about the importance of our universities to the economic development of southern Arizona. See http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/o…
He did not support Proposition 100 or his own district override. He is not a friend of education or business development in our state.
Kate in AZ–the irony is not lost on me. Antenori draws three different forms of “government” checks–disability, Raytheon (in the form of gov’t contracts) and now the state legislature. He rails against government–but is a hypocrite. My understanding is that Camenisch will refuse his legislature salary if elected. Does anyone know if that’s true?
I’m done with these “do as I say not as I do” politicians. Frank is setting himself up for a CD8 run next. Let’s get this angry little man off the Arizona stage already.
ANTENORI AND THOSE INSIDIOUS TAX LOOPHOLES HE SUPPORTS
Did you know that Frank Antenori had the chance to close special interest tax loopholes instead of cutting funding for Arizona’s public schools and didn’t? To learn more about those insidious tax loopholes he supports for the super-rich click below:
http://azstarnet.com/news/local/govt-and-p…
Antenori is not voting Southern Arizona values – he’s voting with the Phoenix politicians – his record proves it!
Todd Camenisch is an Independent running as a Democrat. As a UA Professor & Medical Researcher, School Board Member and parent, he walks the talk on Education. He supports restoring a strong public education system in Arizona. For example, he supports bringing per pupil funding up to the national average – currently we are LAST in the country in Education spending. Todd Camenisch supports economic reform that creates jobs for Arizona – but this won’t happen while we are dead last in the nation on Education spending. Thanks a lot Frank.
The one problem with Gabrielle Giffords is, she is afraid to put her voting record in a TV Ad, because her voting record is soo bad. She is not being truthful and as a result many voters are saying, about her SS ad, just another one of her UNTRUTHFUL stories. So many voters just state “oh here she goes again”. Just keep spending that money on junk.
There are thousands of emails and facebook addressing her Ad. It is called “Gabrielle Giffords #1 Myth”.They are also showing her old voting record from 2006 and 2008. Her voting record is her worst enemy. Think about it, when there is a poll, with her as the encumbant and a negative Jesse Kelly Ad,and they are neck to neck, people are tired of Nancy Pelosi #2. If anyone has ruined her chances to win, it doesn’t take a “Rocket Scientist” to figure it out. The magic word is NANCY PELOSI.
I was impressed with Todd Caminesch the first time I met him and heard him speak. Down to earth (read: not a slick politician), an educated person with concrete, positive ideas/plans for our state (read: what a welcome change). And it is definitely time for a change in LD30. We deserve better. We want Todd Caminesch to represent us.
Regarding Gabrielle Giffords–we are extraordinarily lucky to have her represent us, and represent us well she does. It can’t be easy for her to bridge all the different views and priorities in this diverse area–but she does. Rep. Giffords works hard for us. I have only lived in AZ four years, but I have seen her and the results of her efforts more than I saw my representative any of the other states where I have lived.
I see Antenori as sort of a don quixote – railing at fights, light the ridiculous light bulb proposal that don’t need to be fought and that waste our time and money. Antenori has only his own legalistic agenda and doesn’t seem to understand that Arizona needs a rational budget, and a well educated workforce to attract more industry.
Camenisch has the education and credentials to move Arizona up and out of the abyss the current legislature and governor have ignored.
Gabrielle Giffords is a thoughtful and indepedent thinker who examines proposals and listens to her constituents. She has addressed concerns over border security in a realistic and concrete way – asking for additional national guard in the wake of the Krenz murder.
Kelly on the other hand seems like a hot head with overly simplified answers like repeal Social Security. Giffords is clearly the stronger choice.
I thik that Jan Brewer had her 16 second gap on what she’s done because she failed to control the legislature for budget items and then signed SB 1070 as political cover for a very poor showing her first 2 legislative sessions. I think Terry Goddard has worked had to stop and prosecute identity theft – a far more important approach to the probelsm of illegal immigration than SB 1070. Goddard has a jobs program and irealizes that you need an educated workforce and a rational tax structure to attract business. Just having extremely low taxes does not attract business – a reasonable tax structure that makes tax increment financing and similar items is far more attractive to business.
I have no idea what Gowan has done this past term- I have had no communication from his office and see little or nothing about him in the newspaper. Delassandro on the other hand has been visible, door knocking and brings a fresh and reasoned perspective – which we greatly need!
I am glad Glassman is taking on McCain. McCain has had a distinguished career, but under his tenure Arizona has fallen to become a very poor state. While other states obtain some funding for improvement projects and infrastructure, McCain considers that ‘pork’ and gets us nothing. McCain has done nothing about the immigration policies and showed a real lack of courage on that issue in 2007. apparently McCain thinks its perfectly fine to spend $20 million on a primary race in a state that has passed clean election laws. McCain is completely out of touch with Arizonan’s daily concerns. His Westpoint education is simply not relevant to the challenges we face now. And Republicans at the federal level don’t want to reduce the deficit – they just want to continue excessively low taxation for themselves and all other extremely wealthy people.
In contrast, Glassman is well educated on water issues and law and cares about the future of our state. He plans to raise a family here. As a city councilman Glass man stayed in touch with constitutents weekly. Glassman is also someone who can make things happen – he has a long and brilliant history in the charitable fundraising arena! Time for a real leader – someone who is looking to our future! Glassman deserves a chance to debate McCain – then voters can decide!
I don’t agree with Gabrielle Giffords about everything. I am probably (horrors) more socialist in my opinions and I wanted to see Medicare for All/Single payer health reform, but she is sincere and honest and that is worth a lot. I can’t imagine a candidate that I would agree with all of the time. And she has a very responsive team. I personally know several people that have gotten help navigating through our various bureaucracies when they ran into problems. She really does care about the people she serves and understands the issues of rural Arizona and the border. As a Clinical Social worker in southeastern Arizona for 20 years, I can say from experience that Giffords responds to constituent requests more than any other Arizona politicians that I have known. Forget Kolb and McCain unless its for a sound bite or photo op. As for Kelly: Only a madman would suggest privatizing Social Security after what our economy just went through. If it had been privatized at that point, it would all be gone.
Dear Suan: Watch something besides Fox news, will ya?
Hey Ed – I can fill you in on the salary topic for Camenisch. When he was exploring whether to run, he learned that he wouldn’t be allowed to accept any incremental funds for serving as senator because he was already a state employee as a university progfessor – no double dipping like Antenori does at the federal trough. Even though he won’t make an incremental dime when he wins , he decided to step up because of his concern for our state. So, budget cut number one – the LD30 senator’s salary!
Community forums are great venues to hear from the candidates on issues that concern all of us. I wonder why the current Republicans are NOT attending some of these especially those on education?? What are they afraid of? I know Anternori has not attended at least 2 education forum where he would have discussed this crucial issue with Todd Camenisch. There is a scheduled education forum on October 29th at Catalina Foothills HS featuring Superintendents of Public Instruction, LD26 and LD 30 house and senate candidates. Will all the candidates be present? The public deserves to hear from everyone who wants to hold public office.
We must get Jan Brewer out of office and stop the laughing that is nation wide over her intelligence. The extreme right is not where Arizona needs to go. We need people to work together to make things right and stop the negative talk, democrats want to work and the republicans just want President Obama to fail, so they will continue to obstruct and nothing will get done. Arizona needs a path forward in a positive manner and not just the rhetoric the right seems stuck on. Help Arizona get on the side of the everyday American and let the wealthy go peddle their fish elsewhere.