Tanner Bell

Former UA Wildcat Football player and former President of Arizona Policy Institute (API) Tanner Bell intends to run as a Republican for District 3 Pima County Supervisor against 4-term incumbent Democrat Sharon Bronson. The Tucson Weekly announced his bid yesterday:

http://www.tucsonweekly.com/TheRange/archives/2012/04/09/pima-county-supervisor-sharon-bronson-draws-republican-opponent-tanner-bell

Bell is an academic counselor at the UA Athletic Dept. (click here for staff listing). He can be reached at tannerbellpima@gmail.com and is a political newcomer.

Information below from Arizona Policy Institute website:

Tanner Bell worked as an independent sales representative for a number of local Tucson firms. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Regional Development from the University of Arizona, where he was a three year Letterwinner in football.

He currently serves on the board for the National Football Foundation of Southern Arizona and the “A” Club. In addition to his board responsibilities he is a member of the Executive Committee for the United Way Inclusion Council and Young Leaders Society in which he co-chairs the Events Team. Most recently, Tanner has been nominated as a Finalist for the United Way’s Young Leader of the Year as well as Tucson’s Top 40 Under 40. Tanner is a transplant from the coast, growing up in Castroville, CA.

API is made up of a board of individuals from around Southern Arizona. API’s board is made of representetives (sic) from the following industries and areas of expertise: tourism, non-profit administration, entertainment, small business, commercial and residential development, association management, law, finance, large business, neighborhood associations, road construction, marketing and public relations, retail trades and urban planning. Each member of the API board was chosen for their experience in the marketplace, knowledge of the Southern Arizona business or political environment and their desire to create a better community. The members realize that personal benefits are secondary to collective community advancement.

Tanner Bell’s campaign website is www.tannerbell.com, and he can be reached at tanner@votetannerbell.com.

Vice Chair Bronson announced her intent to run again for re-election on the Buckmaster show on April 5, 2012 (click here). She was first elected in Nov. 1996 (upsetting incumbent Republican-turned-Independent Supervisor Ed Moore).

District 1 Supervisor Ann Day (R) is retiring this year, and 4 Republicans (Mike Hellon, Ally Miller, Stuart McDaniel, LD 26 House Rep. Vic Williams), and one Democrat (former LD 26 House Rep. Nancy Young Wright) are seeking that seat.

District 2 Supervisor Chair Ramon Valadez (D) is running unopposed so far.

District 4 Supervisor Ray Carroll (R) is facing opposition in the Republican primary on August 28 from political newcomer/businessman Sean Collins.

District 5 Supervisor Richard Elias (D) is running unopposed so far.

Background on the past elections and bios of the current Supervisors, refer to my article last spring (click here) on “Pima County Board of Supervisors – incumbency matters”.

4/18/12 UPDATE: Bell is no longer President of the Arizona Policy Institute (though I did get phone confirmation at the API of that when I ran this story). Read more in Az Daily Star:
http://azstarnet.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/elections/ua-alum-bell-seeking-to-take-bronson-s-seat-on/article_7d91e2bf-8465-5126-8e3e-bd33b0cc73ac.html

The scheduled 2010 speakers include:
–Jon Justice – Talk Radio Host
–James T. Harris — Talk Radio Host
–Stephen Kruiser — Comedian / PJTV Personality
–Stephen Green– Vodka Pundit/ PJTV Personality
–Starlee Rhoades — Goldwater Institute
–Dr. Lee Vliet — Arizonans for Health Care Freedom
–Eric Ruden — Tucson First Coalition
–Tanner Bell — Arizona Policy Institute
–Dr. Dave Mason– Radio Personality

Musical entertainment will be by Jadi Norris and band. Participants are urged to wear red “tea shirts” (available for sale on their website).

Hundreds and hundreds of tea partiers attended last year. From their website, www.tucsonteaparty.org:

“The Tucson Tea Party is a venue for people who are against the over $12 trillion dollars in government bail-outs, stimulus, loans, entitlements, and guarantees since September, 2008, to come together and find their voice. We come together to send a message to our elected officials that, if they voted for any one of these measures, they had better be prepared to collect unemployment in 2010! We believe that the government is taking America away from the ideals that have made it great. We believe in individual liberty and responsibility, a small federal government whose constitutional powers are limited, and the pursuit of happiness.

We do not believe that the government has the right to take your money in order to bail out big financial institutions, delinquent borrowers, or make it harder for you to earn your own living.

The government is spending future generations into debt slavery. If you care about your future and the future of your children, join the Tucson Tea Party.”

El Presidio Park is at 160 W. Alameda, between Tucson City Hall and the historic 1929 Pima County Courthouse.

It’s tea time!