Ideological Struggle

A not-quite-liveblog of the Pete Hershberger-Al Melvin debate

Senate candidates Pete Hershberger and Al Melvin debate Republican family values.
Republican voters in Legislative District 26 have a clear choice in their Senate primary: Pete Hershberger is a moderate who has often sided with Democrats in his eight years in the House of Representatives, while Al Melvin promises to adhere to every plank in the conservative GOP platform.

Although it leans Republican, Democrat Charlene Pesquiera--who is not running for re-election--won LD26 in 2006 by fewer than 500 votes over Melvin. Melvin had ousted Sen. Toni Hellon in the GOP primary two months earlier with a campaign that accused her of being too liberal; he hopes to do the same to Hershberger this year.

Hershberger counters that he's in step with the voters of the district and argues that Melvin can't win a general election in LD26, which stretches from Saddlebrooke through Oro Valley and across the Catalina foothills. The winner of the Sept. 2 primary will face Democrat Cheryl Cage.

The two men debated last Wednesday, July 2. Here's a not-quite-liveblog of the event. For a longer version, as well more info on the candidates, visit ScrambleWatch.com.

7:05 p.m.: Moderator David Bartlett asks whether the candidates support Arizona's employer-sanctions law.

Melvin says securing the border is the first step in his five-point plan to improve Arizona. "We need to enforce all of our existing laws, and when we do that, we will get control of the illegal-immigrant situation, and we'll start to save the $2 billion a year that it's costing Arizona taxpayers."

Hershberger says he supports "the toughest employer-sanctions bill in the country" and calls for more border security and some kind of guest-worker program. "We will continue to work on this issue," he promises.

7:09 p.m.: Hershberger cites this year's budget as an example of legislative success, because it bridged a shortfall of more than $2 billion.

"We did in a bipartisan way," Hershberger says. "We did a combination of things to pass a budget that's still going to maintain a vision for Arizona."

He laments that the Legislature still deals with too many "contentious issues that distract us from the business at hand, and I wish that we could get beyond that."

7:10 p.m.: Melvin takes his first direct shot at Hershberger. "I have to disagree with my opponent," he salvoes. "In the eight years that he's been in the House, we've had bloated budgets and not enough tax cuts."

Melvin points out that only four Republicans in the House and four Republicans in the Senate voted for this year's budget. "They passed a Democratic budget, and it's a crying shame, and it's not the first time it's happened."

Melvin also zings Hershberger for opposing the permanent repeal of the state's property tax, which raises $250 million a year. "When I get to Phoenix, I will not raise taxes. I'll cut them, and I promise that I will," he vows.

7:13 p.m.: Melvin lays out more of his five-point program for Arizona: securing the border, improving education, providing tax relief, finding more water (through private desalinization plants) and improving the environment, with an emphasis on nuclear power as an alternative-energy supply.

7:14 p.m.: Hershberger defends his opposition to a permanent repeal of the state's property tax.

"We had a $2 billion deficit in Arizona, and we borrowed $500 million for new-school construction to fill that hole," he says. "Why would we do a tax cut with borrowed money? Why would we pay interest, borrow money and turn around and give a tax cut? The voters of this district are smarter than that."

7:15 p.m.: Hershberger tells the audience that a special session may be needed to address a budget shortfall later this year, which could require across-the-board cuts to state agencies.

7:16 p.m.: In case anyone has forgotten what he said six minutes earlier, Melvin reminds the audience that Hershberger was one of the few Republicans to support this year's budget.

"When you get into a situation like this from the overspending in the eight years that my opponent was in the House, then you have to make cuts."

Melvin tells the audience that illegal immigration costs taxpayers $2 billion a year and calls for more tax and spending cuts.

7:20 p.m.: Melvin defends himself from charges that he'll be a pawn of The Powers That Be in Maricopa. He complains that Hershberger is "heavily funded by Phoenix and Maricopa-based lobbyists and other political action committees." He calls for lower taxes to help the poor.

7:25 p.m.: Hershberger says he opposes the proposal to amend the Arizona Constitution to ban gay marriage. "I don't support taking referendums to the ballot to create wedge issues for social policy," he says.

Melvin says he supports the proposition. "It has to be in the Constitution to protect it from activist judges. ... There's no other way to protect the basic building block of society."

7:28 p.m.: Melvin says the key to providing more kids with health care is getting rid of illegal immigrants.

7:30 p.m.: Hershberger says he's "very proud" that he's been able to stand up to the GOP leadership in Phoenix.

7:32 p.m.: Melvin calls for a private toll road between Tucson and Phoenix.

7:35 p.m.: Hershberger says he's a "good fit for the district. My family has represented this district, and I have been meeting with my constituents for eight years now. ... My opponent lost his only election. He couldn't win the general election when he had a 10,000-vote advantage."

7:36 p.m.: Melvin says he's running "to give this district solid Republican mainstream representation based on Republican principles of smaller government and lower taxes, unlike the liberal representation we've had from my opponent. You know, these legislative seats don't belong to any one family; they belong to the people. We don't have a political aristocracy in this country or in this district."

Melvin says Hershberger thinks like a "socialist" and calls him "the most liberal Republican in the entire Legislature" and "the Democrats' most favorite Republican." He concludes: "They can rely on him every time for a bloated budget or a higher tax."

7:38 p.m.: The two Republicans shake hands. It's a wrap!