Rep. Antenori appointed to LD 30 State Senate seat
by Carolyn Classen on Mar. 02, 2010, under Life, PoliticsThe Pima County Board of Supervisors today appointed (by 4-1 vote) Republican freshman LD 30 State House Rep. Frank Antenori to the LD30 State Senate seat recently vacated by Jonathan Paton, who resigned on Feb. 22 to run in the CD 8 U.S. House Republican primary. District 4 Supervisor Ray Carroll made the nomination, as LD 30 lies in his district. Carroll noted that Antenori had the “overwhelming support” of the LD 30 precinct committeemen/women at the recent meeting, in which he got 71 of the 77 votes on the first round of voting.
Democrat District 5 Supervisor Richard Elias stated that he was voting no because Rep. Antenori had “publicly threatened the Board (of supervisors) for political gain”, and was “heading Arizona in the wrong direction.”

Frank Antenori
Antenori, a former “Green Beret”, was elected to the Arizona State House in 2008 and had also been a candidate for the CD 8 U.S. House seat in 2006. The other Republicans nominated by the LD 30 precinct committeemen (and women) for this vacant seat on Feb. 28 were former 2 term LD 30 House. Rep. Randy Graf (served 2000-2004), and LD 30 Precinct Chairman Ted Vogt, a 3rd year law student at the University of Arizona and a former Captain in the Air Force. Graf has been reported to be a part-time consultant for the proposed Rosemont Copper Mine by Augusta Resources, and was formerly a golf pro.
With one of the two LD 30 House Rep. seats now being vacated by Antenori, a similar appointment process will be occurring to fill Antenori’s house seat.
Antenori will serve Paton’s unexpired term till November, when the general election for LD 30 State Senate will determine the winner. He has already announced his candidacy for this state senate seat, along with former 4 term LD 30 State House Rep. Republican Marian McClure
(who recently served from 2001 to 2008). McClure lead the fight against the pay day loan industry in Arizona, to sunset on June 30, 2010. She was termed out of her state house seat and ran unsuccessfully for Arizona Corporation Commission.
The winner of that Republican primary on August 24 will likely face Democrat candidate Dr. Todd Camenisch, a UA science professor and Catalina Foothills governing board member. No other candidates have announced at this time. LD 30 encompasses parts of East Tucson as well as Green Valley, Sonoita, Elgin, and Sierra Vista.
According to the Pima County Recorder’s office, these are the number of registered voters by political party registration:
LEGISLATIVE DISTRICT 30
32,125 Democrats
44,385 Republicans
718 Libertarians
125 Green
29,043 Others (Independents)
106,396 Total
3/4/10 update from Antenori campaign: He is resigning today at 12:30 p.m. from his State House seat, will be sworn in at 1 p.m. to the State Senate.
