Arizona Citizens Clean Election Commission (CCEC) held debates between contested races in the Southern AZ legislative districts, with candidates participating in Clean Elections program and also those running traditionally. “Candidates who participate in Clean Elections to run for office are required to attend one debate in the general election unless they are running unopposed. Candidates who are not running with Clean Elections funding are allowed to join the debate, but their attendance is optional.”

Click on this link & go to the respective date to find the debate you’re interested in viewing. Mostly audience questions were asked at each debate so there were a wide range of questions and answers by these candidates.

http://www.cleanelections101.com/debates

LD 2 House race: September 20 — Chris John Ackerley (R), Andrea Dalessandro (D), Rosanna Gabaldon (D) – all three are Clean Elections candidates
State Senate seat in LD 2: Senator Linda Lopez (D, incumbent in LD 29) faces write-in opposition from Don Woolley (R) and there was no CCEC debate.

LD 11 House & Senate: September 24 — Senate: Jo Holt (D) vs. Al Melvin (R) – Holt is participating in Clean Elections
House: Dave Joseph (D), Steve Smith ( R) – Joseph is participating in Clean Elections. Adam Kwasman (R) is running traditionally so his presence was optional & he did not attend.

LD 9 House & Senate: October 4 — Senate: Steve Farley (D) vs. Tyler Mott (R) – Mott is a Clean elections candidate
House: Ethan Orr (R), Mohur Sarah Sidhwa (D), Victoria Steele (D) – Sidhwa is a Clean elections candidate

LD 10 House: October 10– Todd Clodfelter (R), Stefanie Mach (D), Ted Vogt (R), Bruce Wheeler (D) – only Clodfelter is a Clean elections candidate
State Senate seat in LD 10 has two candidates, both running traditionally, so no CCEC debate was held between Senator Frank Antenori (R, incumbent in LD 30) and David Bradley (D).

LD 14 House & Senate: October 10– Senate: Pat Fleming (D) vs. Gail Griffin (R) – Fleming is a Clean Elections candidate
House: David Gowan (R), Robert Leach (D), David Stevens (R), Mark Stonebraker (D) – Leach & Stonebraker are Clean Elections candidates. The 3 Republicans are running traditionally for the Senate and two House seats, and did not attend this debate as their presence was optional.

Being as early voting for the Nov. 6 general started on October 11, if you’re undecided, please view these videos to listen & consider whom to vote for in your Legislative District – one for State Senate, two for State House.

AZ Daily Star political reporter Brady McCombs reported on the AZ Citizens Clean Elections Commission’s debates scheduled for September & October, leading up to the Nov. 6 General Election. Click here for his article:

Here’s the schedule for the debates, which all start at 6 p.m.:

• Sept. 20 — LD2 House
Where: PCC East Campus, Room L-101, 8181 E. Irvington Road
House candidates: John Ackerley (R), Andrea Dalessandro (D) and Rosanna Gabaldon (D).

• Sept. 24 — LD11 House and Senate
Where: PCC Northwest Campus, Room A-207, 7600 N. Shannon Road
House candidates: David Joseph (D), Adam Kwasman (R) and Steve Smith (R).
Senate candidates: Jo Holt (D) and Al Melvin (R).

• Oct. 3 — LD9 House and Senate *
Where: PCC Downtown Campus, Amethyst Room, 1255 N. Stone Ave.
House candidates: Cynthia Miley (R), Ethan Orr (R), Mohur Sarah Sidhwa (D) and Victoria Steele (D).
Senate candidates: Steve Farley (D) and Tyler Mott (R).

• Oct. 10 — LD10 House
Where: PCC District Office, Community Board Room (C-105), 4905 E. Broadway
House candidates: Todd Clodfelter (R), Stefanie Mach (D), Ted Vogt (R) and Bruce Wheeler (D).

*9/12/12 update: LD 9 debate moved to following day, October 4, same time, same place due to conflict with U.S. Presidential debate.

For more info about AZ CCEC go to www.azcleanelections.gov, to see list of participating candidates in the Clean Elections program.

The Debate schedule is here on their website for other legislative districts, including LD 14 Senate & House candidates on Sept. 26* in Benson, AZ. at the Benson City Council Chambers, 120 W. 6th St. In that race for Senate, incumbent Gail Griffin (R) of LD 25 is facing Pat Fleming (D). In the House race four men are vying for 2 seats: David Gowan (R) incumbent in LD 30, Robert Leach (D), David Stevens (R) incumbent in LD 25, and Mark Stonebraker (D).

*Update: This LD 14 debate moved to October 10, due to Cochise County Sheriff Larry Dever’s memorial service.

In LD 10 House race, Bruce Wheeler and Ted Vogt are incumbents, currently serving as representatives in LD 28 and LD 30 respectively. In the LD 11 Senate race, Al Melvin is the incumbent State Senator in LD 26. Cynthia Miley is a Republican write-in candidate from the AZ Primary in LD 9 House, which is why her name has not appeared in previous posts.*

*10/5/12 update: No appearance by Republican Cynthia Miley at last night’s CCEC debate, someone announced that she was not on the ballot. Checked with AZ SOS website, and her name does not appear for LD 9 House.

Attend these debates to listen to these candidates, and vote wisely on or before Nov. 6. Early voting starts October 11.

On July 24 the Arizona Citizens Clean Election Commission hosted a debate between the two Democratic candidates seeking the LD 3 Senate seat. The two contenders are LD 27 State Senator Olivia Cajero Bedford and former LD 27 State Senator Maria Garcia, who had been appointed for a few months to the seat of her late husband LD 27 State Senator Jorge Luis Garcia.

View the online debate which was held at Pima Community College West campus (click here), moderated by C. J. Karamargin, Vice Chancellor for Public Information & Governmental Relations.

Ms. Cajero Bedford served in the Arizona state house from LD 27 for 4 terms, and was elected to the State Senate in Nov. 2010.

I also reported on Maria de la Luz Garcia’s appointment to that Senate seat in Nov. 2010:
http://tucsoncitizen.com/community/2010/11/02/supervisors-appoint-maria-garcia-widow-of-jorge-luis-garcia-to-the-ld-27-state-senate-seat/. Ms. Garcia was only able to serve for about two months before Ms. Cajero Bedord took over that seat.

Watch the online video and decide how to vote in the August 28 Democratic primary. Both candidates are participating in the Clean Elections program.

State Senator Olivia Cajero Bedford

Maria de la Luz Garcia