The State Senate race in midtown LD 28 is heating up but now has more Independents running than Democrats or Republicans. I’ve reported on this race briefly before (click here), but here’s the latest surprise.

former State House Rep. Ted Downing

Former state rep. Ted Downing has changed his party affiliation on the Secretary of State’s website from Democrat to Independent. Ted served 2 terms as LD 28 House Rep. as a Democrat from 2003 to 2007, and is a UA professor of social development. Current LD 28 State Senator Aboud beat Downing in this same race back in November 2006, 9158 votes (54.04%) to 7746 votes (45.71%).

Meanwhile, Dave Ewoldt has filed in that same office as an Independent as well. Dave was the campaign manager for Green candidate Dave Croteau for Mayor in 2007 and has been active in the Green Party. Ewoldt’s campaign flyer describes himself as “Politically experienced, but Independent to the core.” He is a practitioner and researcher in the field of ecopsychology.

candidate Dave Ewoldt

I guess that means both men will move on to the General with no primary election competition.

So that would leave incumbent LD 28 State Senator Paula Aboud, a property manager, as the only Democrat running, with no Republican challenger.

As far as I know, the only Independent in public office in Southern Arizona was former Tucson City Councilmember Carol West, who changed from Democrat to Independent in her last year of office.

State Senator Paula Aboud

Websites for these three candidates in LD 28 State Senate:

–Paula Aboud, www.paulaaboud.com

–Dr. Ted Downing, www.ted-downing.com

–Dave Ewoldt, website under construction, contact him at DaveforArizona@gmail.com.
5/31 update: www.daveforarizona.org.

For a map of LD 28, click here for the Pima County Democratic Party website.

Did you know that 4 of the 5 recent Arizona Governors have been women?

I attended a panel discussion at the 2nd Annual Tucson Festival of Books about women politicians in Arizona (pre 1950). Then I started thinking about the women politicians since then and now:

Arizona Governors Rose Mofford (1988 to 1991), Jane Dee Hull (1997 to 2003), Janet Napolitano (2003 to 2009), Jan Brewer (2009 to present) were either Secretary of State or Attorney General before becoming Governor. Governor Brewer is seeking re-election in November, 2010. Prior to Governor Mofford, all of Arizona’s Governors were men.

Two of our 8 U.S. House Congressmembers are now women: Gabrielle Giffords (serving since 2007 in CD Eight) and Ann Kirkpatrick (serving since 2009 in CD One). Isabella Greenway was the first Congresswoman from Arizona (served 1933 to 1937).

Arizona's first Congresswoman Isabella Greenway

Two of the 5 Supervisors on the Pima County Board of Supervisors are women: Sharon Bronson (District 3) and Ann Day (District 1).

3 of our current 6 Tucson City Councilmembers are women: Shirley Scott (Ward 4), Karin Uhlich (Ward 3), and Regina Romero (Ward 1). At one time till December 2009 we had 4 women Councilmembers, including Nina Trasoff (Ward 6).

There are two women’s groups in Arizona promoting the election of more political office holders who are women:

The Arizona Women’s Political Caucus (AWPC) promotes pro-choice women candidates, saying on their website: “We are the only multi-partisan grassroots organization dedicated to increasing the number of pro-choice women in elected and appointed office. We work to help women attain leadership positions at all levels of government.” AWPC was founded in 1972 in Arizona.

Arizona List (founded in 2003) says they are “one of the state’s largest political networks and one of the largest financial resources for women candidates. We are the only Super PAC solely dedicated to electing women in Arizona. We are determined to change the face of Arizona by electing pro-choice Democratic women to state and local office.”

Arizona is in 9th place of 50 states in the percentage of women legislators (31.1%). Women hold 28 of the 90 legislative seats in Arizona. Several women candidates are running for the state legislature this year.

Up for re-election:

State Senate: Paula Aboud (LD 28), Linda Lopez (LD 29)

State House: Patricia Fleming (LD 25), Nancy Young Wright, (LD 26)

Candidates seeking election:

State Senate:
- Cheryl Cage in LD 26,
- House Rep. Olivia Cajero Bedford in LD 27,
- Marian McClure (former State House Rep.) in LD 30.

State House:
- Terri Lynn Proud in LD 26,
- Sally Ann Gonzales (former House Rep. & Pascua Yaqui Tribal Councilwoman) in LD 27,
- Mohur Sidhwa and Marlena Fineberg in LD 28,
- Andrea Dalessandro and Parralee Schneider in LD 30.

And only one woman attorney Felecia Rotellini is seeking the Arizona Attorney General job, in a field with five male attorneys. Pima County Attorney Barbara LaWall has been serving since 1996, the first woman in that office. Only four women (27%) serve as County Attorneys of the 15 counties in Arizona.

Granted, there are more men running than women in all these races, but women have indeed come a long way in Arizona politics since 1950. Happy Women’s Herstory Month of March again, as indicated by these women, who seem to have strong backgrounds to run for public office.

Just ask LD 28 House candidate Mohur Sidhwa about her story of being an Indian immigrant from Pakistan who chose (as a teenager) to come to America, instead of staying over there and wearing a burqa.

The Saguaro Eastside Democrats and Legislative District 28 are hosting a debate for Democratic State House candidates running in that district on Friday, March 19. The debate will start at 7 p.m. at the New Spirit Lutheran Church, 8701 E. Old Spanish Trail, NE intersection of S. Camino Seco. Light Refreshments will be served at 6:30 p.m. and the debate should end by 8:30 p.m.

Moderator will be John C. Scott, host of KJLL 1330 AM talk radio show.

Democratic donkey logo

Expected to debate will be LD 28 Democratic house candidates:

- State House Rep. Steve Farley (incumbent)
- Marlena Fineberg
- Ted Prezelski
- Mohur Sidhwa
- Tim Sultan
- Bruce Wheeler (former 1 term State House legislator & 2 term City Councilmember)

Marlena Tova Fineberg just filed to run recently, and she is a sales executive at Ambient Air Heating and Cooling, and has published a poetry book entitled “Elephants, Alligators, Umbrellas”. Marlena says she is a Democrat, but her party affiliation is not listed on the official state campaign finance website, though she just informed me that she is “listed as a Democrat now on the hard copy sent to the Sec. of State.” (update 5 p.m. 3/18/10).

Voters in the August 24 Democratic primary will chose 2 of these candidates to face off in the November 2nd General Election, against Republican house candidates in LD 28.

Republican Ken Smalley, a property manager, www.kensmalleyforrep.com has filed to run in this race. Another Republican Greg Krino filed recently, and he is a 3rd year law student at the U of A, clerking at the Pima County Attorney’s office (http://gregkrino2010.com/)

For these Democratic candidates’ brief bios and website information, click here, for my earlier blog at the first forum of these hopefuls (except Fineberg) which was held on February 21, at St. Mark’s Presbyterian Church. At that forum 5 Democratic house candidates all introduced themselves and spoke for 10 minutes, but there was no debate or public question/answer period.

For more information on this debate call Pat Wiedhopf at 520-850-6755.

Be informed, attend these debates to meet these Democratic candidates.