former U.S. Senator Rick Santorum

Former Pennsylvania U.S. Senator Rick Santorum (served 1995 to 2007) will speak in Tucson at a free Tucson Tea Party event at the Sabbar Shriner’s Temple on Wednesday February 22. Doors open at 10 a.m. at 450 S. Tucson Blvd., south of Broadway. The event is expected to run till 1:30 p.m.

Santorum is on the ballot for the Arizona Republican Presidential Preference Primary set for Feb. 28. Early voting on that primary began on February 2 and reports are that 20% of registered Republicans have already voted. 23 Republicans are listed on the AZ Secretary of State’s ballot, including former 2008 U.S Presidential candidate/former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney, who is currently running again in this year’s Republican Presidential nomination run-off. Also running: Congressman Ron Paul from Texas (CD 14 since 1997), who also ran in the Presidential race of 2008, and former Georgia Congressman Newt Gingrich (CD 6 from 1979 to 1999). Governor Rick Perry of Texas has withdrawn from the race, but his name will be on the ballot.

Trent Humphries, Co-founder of the Tucson Tea Party was on KUAT Channel 6 AZ Illustrated’s political roundtable on Feb. 17 discussing this upcoming visit (click here.) Humphries ran unsuccessfully for LD 26 House in the Republican primary of 2008.

For more on the Republican Preference primary view AZ Week for February 17 (click here), discussing the GOP Presidential debate (to be nationally televised) on Wednesday Feb. 22 in Mesa.

The Arizona Independent Redistricting Commission composed of 2 Democrats (Jose Herrera, Linda McNulty), 2 Republicans (Scott Freeman, Rick Stertz), 1 Independent (Colleen Mathis) have been meeting & holding public hearings on proposed Congressional/legislative maps for Arizona since this Spring.

The Commission & their staff recently drew up 2 preliminary draft maps of 30 new legislative districts and 9 Congressional districts for the public to consider & comment on. (Arizona has an additional seat in Congress due to increase in population based on the 2010 Census).

These draft maps are now online at ther website: http://www.azredistricting.org/Maps/Draft-Maps.asp

And the 2nd round of public hearings have begun. The first round of public hearings in the summer were well attended and many individuals & groups provided feedback to the Commission on how the maps should be drawn. Factors to consider in drawing up districts are equal population, existing geographic & political lines, compactness & contiguousness, competitiveness, communities of interest.

Plan on attending these Southern Arizona hearings:

Monday, October 24, 2011
City of Tucson 6:00 p.m.
University of Arizona
Student Union Memorial Center
North Ballroom
1303 E. University Blvd.
Tucson, AZ 85721

Friday, November 4, 2011
Town of Marana 6:00 p.m.
Town of Marana
Marana Municipal Complex
Auditorium
11555 W. Civic Center Drive
Marana, AZ 85653

Saturday, November 5, 2011
Town of Green Valley 10:00 a.m.
Desert Hills Social Center
Desert Hills Auditorium
2980 S. Camino del Sol
Green Valley, AZ 85622

Online comments are welcome at www.azredistricting.org or click here for the public input form.

My previous blog on this redistricting issue (click here). KUAT’s “Arizona Week” host Michael Chihak interviewed Democrat & Republican leaders on the draft maps on October 14 (click here).

Press release from Arizona Public Media, www.azpm.org (KUAT Channel 6):

Arizona Illustrated Political Roundtable
Premieres with New Host Jim Nintzel
New format on PBS-HD Channel 6
Friday evenings at 6:30 p.m. starting September 16th

Tucson, Ariz. – September 9, 2011 – Jim Nintzel, senior writer for the Tucson Weekly and a longtime contributor to Arizona Public Media, will host a new political roundtable on the Friday evening edition of Arizona Illustrated premiering Friday, September 16th at 6:30 p.m. The program will feature a mix of political strategists and reporters who will bring insider perspective to the events of each week.

Arizona Illustrated Political Roundtable will be part of PBS-HD Channel 6’s Friday night news block airing at 6:30 p.m. before PBS NewsHour, Washington Week, Arizona Week and Need to Know. The program repeats at 12:30 a.m. on Saturday morning in addition to video-on-demand at www.azpm.org.

“I’ve missed doing the Friday Roundtable and am thrilled to be part of the team that’s bringing a new version to Arizona Illustrated,” Nintzel said. “As the host, I hope to bring fresh insights and perspectives from both the left and the right to our viewers. It’s great to be back in the AZPM studios providing in-depth political news for the community.”

Jack Gibson, Director and General Manager of AZPM states “This new restructuring of the Friday Roundable supports Arizona Public Media’s strategic focus on news and current affairs. Jim, with his respected standing in the community and long experience in the political arena, is a welcome addition to our broadcast team.”

New Arizona Illustrated Political Roundtable format:
• The format for Arizona Illustrated Political Roundtable will include Nintzel, political strategists and insiders from both the left and the right sides of the political aisle, reporters from Arizona Public Media and other special guests who will provide analysis of the week’s events in local, state and national politics, as well as forecasts of future political trends.

The premiere program on September 16th will include the following guests:
Jonathan Paton, former Arizona state lawmaker and congressional candidate,
Rodd McLeod, Political Strategist (Congressional campaigns of Congresswoman
Gabrielle Giffords and the 2010 gubernatorial campaign of Terry Goddard),
Andrea Kelly, political reporter, Arizona Public Media.

About Jim Nintzel:
Having covered politics in Southern Arizona for two decades at the Tucson Weekly, Jim Nintzel has won more than 30 statewide and national journalism awards for reporting, commentary and feature writing and was named a Journalist of the Year by the Arizona Newspaper Association in 2010. He was part of PBS-HD Channel 6’s Friday Roundtable for 15 years and has aided Arizona Public Media with political debates and other segments. He is an adjunct faculty member who has taught government reporting at the University of Arizona School of Journalism since 2001.