AZPM’s political reporter Christopher Conover was the moderator of this League of Women Voters and Hispanic Chamber of Commerce sponsored forum.

About 300 people were in attendance at the Proscenium Theater, including District 5 Supervisor Richard Elias, PCC board member Marty Cortez, Dr. Manny Arreguin (Democratic challenger in CD 3 primary), and Barney Brenner, former candidate for District 3 Supervisor. The audience disregarded Conover’s repeated requests to hold their applause & outbursts.

Prepared Sponsor questions asked were about the polarization in D.C., immigration reform, the economic future of Southern Az, and the proposed Rosemont mine. The audience questions were about how to create jobs in Yuma (highest unemployment in AZ), foreign policy & the War in Afghanistan, government regulations (good and bad), and border security (which is better drug policy or immigration policy to secure the border to Mexico?).

I announced this event earlier on October 1st:
http://tucsoncitizen.com/community/2012/10/01/congressman-grijalva-vs-challengers-saucedo-mercer-guerra-at-cd-3-debate-on-october-9/, listing their campaign websites, for those of you who want to read more about the 3 candidates.

Vote wisely on or before November 6. Early voting starts tomorrow.

Click here for the interview.

Grijalva is in his 5th term representing CD 7, serving since January 2003. He faced a tough bid last year against political newcomer physicist Ruth McClung, winning by 9550 votes. There was also a Libertarian George Keane and Independent/Nonpartisan Harley Meyer running in that race in November, 2010.

Two Republicans are already listed on the Pima County GOP website as running for this CD 7 seat:
Chris Flowers, and Gabby Saucedo Mercer, whose announcement I attended back in March (click here for previous blog).

Information on Flowers:
chris@voteflowers.com
www.voteflowers.com
623-308-9732

Information on Mercer:
gabriela@saucedomercer.com
www.saucedomercer.com
P.O. Box 87332
Tucson, Arizona
520-344-3847

Congressional District 7 will be subject to redistricting by the Arizona Independent
Redistricting Commission (due to population increase in Arizona from the 2010 Census). The first round of public hearings are being conducted by the Commission throughout Arizona, with the next one scheduled for August 15 in Casa Grande. Two public hearings were held recently in South Tucson/Tucson on August 2 and 6.

Gabriela Saucedo Mercer

Her announcement will be made at 11 a.m. Wednesday March 2nd at the Inn Suites/Tucson Hotel, 475 N. Granada Avenue, Copper room in Tucson, 85701. Doors open at 10:30 a.m.

From her website:

Gabriela Saucedo Mercer lives on Tucson’s west side with her husband of 24 years, Ted Mercer. Gabriela, “Gabby” for short, set aside her work career with a defense electronics firm in order to raise her 3 children and continue her education. As the kids were growing up Gabriela became more and more concerned about the direction that her adopted country had taken in recent years. She legally emigrated to the U.S. from Mexico in 1986 in order to live in a nation full of opportunity and Constitutional protections of individual liberties. She became a proud U.S. citizen in 1991.

I happened to be at the Tucson City Council meeting last Spring when Gabriela stood up & spoke against the Council’s opposition of SB 1070, and Congressman’s Grijalva’s call for a boycott of the State of Arizona. Most of the Mexican Americans in the room spoke against SB 1070.

Campaign info: www.saucedomercer.com, 520-349-5600, gabriela@saucedomercer.com.

Congressman Raul Grijalva has served since January, 2003 and won his last November, 2010 campaign against political newcomers Republican Ruth McClung, Libertarian George Keane, and Independent Harley Meyer. Results of that recent race:

GRIJALVA, RAUL M. (DEM)
50.16% 79,935
MCCLUNG, RUTH (REP)
44.16% 70,385
KEANE, GEORGE (LBT)
2.71% 4,318
MEYER, HARLEY (I-N)
2.83% 4,506
Write-in
0.14% 228
159,372 total votes cast

3/3/11 UPDATE: 2 live videos of this campaign kick off event:

http://tucsoncitizen.com/in-the-aggregate/2011/03/02/gabriela-saucedo-mercer-releases-two-videos-in-race-for-cd-7/

Interested in political campaigns and the 3 Ms: media, money & message? Attend a luncheon talk at the lovely Arizona Inn, on Nov 12, 11: 45 a.m. to 1 p.m. by Assistant Professor Kate Kenski of the University of Arizona Dept. of Communication. This event is sponsored by the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA).

Cost is: UA/Pima Students, $15; PRSA Members, $25; Non-members, $35. Those without a reservation may have to pay an extra $10.

Dr. Kenski will discuss “how campaign strategies shape public opinion in pivotal elections. And, with the recent mid-term elections just over, she will weigh in on how effectively area candidates used messages to convince voters.”

Kenski co-authored a new book entitled “The Obama Victory: How Media, Money, and Message Shaped the 2008 Election” (co-authored with Bruce W. Hardy and Kathleen Hall Jamieson; June 2010, Oxford University Press).

Professor Kenski was interviewed on KUAT Channel 6 on October 15 (click here). She did say that the CD 7 and CD 8 U.S. House races were going to be close. And listen to what Kenski said about former Vice Presidential candidate Sarah Palin.

Reservations can be made online at www.prsatucson.org or by contacting Ellen Hull by phone, 520-795-0300 x2283, or email, ehull@jfcstucson.org.

The 20,000-member Public Relations Society of America is the world’s largest organization for public relations professionals. Members represent business and industry, counseling firms, government, associations, hospitals, schools, professional service firms and not-for-profit organizations.

More than 100 chapters in 10 geographical districts provide opportunities to grow professionally, share ideas, practice skills, and network with colleagues.

The Arizona Inn is at 2200 E. Elm Street (between Campbell & Tucson Blvd.), phone 520-325-1541.

For the first time (as far as I know) there were more Independent candidates in a legislative race (LD 28 Senate) than candidates from the major parties. There was one Democrat (the incumbent), one Republican, and two Independents running in that legislative race.

But it seems that Independent candidates don’t receive a lot of votes.

November 2006 General Election: Jay Quick ran as an Independent in CD 8 House, and got 1.68% of the vote (3523 votes). This past August, 2010 he ran again for CD 8 House as a Republican in the primary, and received 2.29% of the vote (1648 votes), slightly more percentage wise.

November 2008 General Election: Ralph Nader ran for U. S. President as “Nonpartisan” and got only 0.51 % of the vote in Pima County (1995 votes). He formerly ran for President as a Green Party candidate.

November 2010 General Election: Harley Meyer just ran in CD 7 House as an Independent, and got 2.83% of the vote (4506 votes).

In LD 27 Gene Chewning just ran for State House as an Independent & got 6.46% of the vote (4,114 votes). He ran before for the same seat as a Republican in November 2006, and got 19.54% of the vote (11,327 votes)– which shows that major party affiliation does help.

And in LD 28 Senate, Ted Downing (formerly a Democratic legislator) got 6.25% of the vote (3,085 votes) running as “Nonpartisan and Independent”, while Dave Ewoldt as an Independent (formerly with the Green party) got 2.86% of the vote (1,414 votes). Final tallies are not complete for these two races either.

Downing ran for this same seat in the September, 2006 Primary as a Democrat and got 45.71% of the vote (7746 votes). He only got 3085 votes this time in the 2010 General Election, so leaving the Democratic party seems to have lessened his chances of vote-getting.

Running as an Independent frees the candidate from a Primary Election challenge, but they don’t have a political party “machine”/resources to help them get out the vote, nor a political party platform to assist the voters in deciding what these candidates stand for. Being “independent” minded may not be enough for today’s discerning voter.

And I suspect that voters who choose “Other/No Party/Independent/Non partisan” status do so as they want to avoid party labels (or are unhappy with their former party), the closed Primaries, and want the freedom to pick & choose between all the Political Party candidates (Democrat, Republican, Libertarian, Green, Independent, etc.) in the General Election.

Time will tell if any independent/non partisan candidate will win a seat in Southern Arizona in the future.

UPDATE: Only Independent politicians in Southern AZ have been Ward 2 Councilmember Carol West (who changed from a Democrat), and District 3 Pima County Supervisor Ed Moore (who changed from a Republican).

Doors open at 8 a.m. Coffee & donuts will be served.

Also attending will be U.S. House candidates Jesse Kelly in CD 8 and Ruth McClung in CD 7.

Here’s your chance to meet these Republican candidates and ask those questions about issues affecting Arizona.

U.S. Senator John MCain

Governor Jan Brewer

and incumbent Ken Bennett (R) for Secretary of State (who takes over should the Governor resign or leave office):
http://azstarnet.com/news/opinion/editorial/article_4213e38c-ca88-5e44-983e-09cec7885d0d.html

They also endorsed for U.S. Senate incumbent John McCain (R) today:
http://azstarnet.com/news/opinion/editorial/article_6b670cb4-20f2-57b6-9f29-c51cfcb42434.html

And for the Congressional seats in Southern Arizona, incumbent Gabrielle Giffords (D) for House CD 8:
http://azstarnet.com/news/opinion/editorial/article_6036f82e-eea6-50c6-85b0-ab7e74d7ca98.html

and incumbent Congressman Raul Grijalva (D) for CD 7:
http://azstarnet.com/news/opinion/editorial/article_4167e7b8-c9ae-5016-aafd-98b99e98b7f5.html

Incumbency does seem to matter in these top races.

I wrote a previous blog about Tucson newspaper endorsements for state-wide offices (click here).

Recap of Star’s previous endorsements: Felecia Rotellini (D) for Attorney General, Doug Ducey (R) for Treasurer, Penny Kotterman (D) for Superintendent of Public Instruction, and incumbent Gary Pierce (R) & Brenda Burns (R) for Corporation Commission (2 seats). The only incumbent in these races is Pierce.

Reminder — The Tucson Weekly (10/7/10 issue) endorsed all Democrats except for U.S.Senate (no recommendation).

Vote wisely on or before November 2nd.

event flyer

This is probably one of the few times you will have a chance to discuss issues with both Democratic Congressmembers Raul Grijalva (CD 7) and Gabrielle Giffords (CD 8), along with their Republican challengers Jesse Kelly and Ruth McClung.

The RSVP for this exciting breakfast event is due by 5 p.m. on Wednesday October 20 to www.mpaaz.org/events/breakfast. Cost is $25 for members of Metropolitan Pima Alliance (MPA), non-members/public cost $35 (including late and no RSVP). The Breakfast wll be catered by Creative Catering, at the Tucson Association of Realtors’ office, 2445 N. Tucson Blvd. (north of Grant Road).

Questions can be directed to Executive Director Michael Guymon, at 520-751-1030 or michael@mpaaz.org. I worked with Michael when he was Chief of Staff for former Ward 6 Councilmember Fred Ronstadt (R).

“Metropolitan Pima Alliance’s goal is to participate, educate and influence public policy and decision making for Metropolitan Pima County. MPA leads the charge in facilitating dialogue between members of the development community with those in the public-sector. Unique to the region, MPA is an alliance of business, government and non-profit organizations. MPA’s goals directly relate to improving our region’s quality of life and economic vitality and to that end, MPA strongly believes in the positive participation and contributions of the private business sector working in collaboration with local jurisdictions.

As part of this mission, MPA’s members include representatives from both sectors. The MPA Board is made up of prominent business leaders from a variety of development sectors from planning to banking. As such, our meetings and events are well-attended by an impressive group of people including elected officials, local governmental staff and individuals from a variety of private-sector industries. Our members are relied upon to contribute expertise in their respective fields to fulfill MPA’s core goal to create sensible community planning solutions. MPA offers a variety of events in which networking and sponsorship opportunities are offered.” (from their website, http://www.mpaaz.org/.

MPA office is at 110 S. Church, Suite 6320, Tucson, AZ 85701.

If you miss this one hour forum, view it online at www.azpm.org, “On Demand”.

Last time I wrote about these men was on July 19 after candidate Andy Goss dropped out and endorsed Jesse Kelly, and 3 of the 4 candidates (sans Quick) appeared at the Eastside Republican Club town hall on July 21. Click here for earlier blog (with photos of each candidate).

This has been a very spirited campaign for the GOP candidates, with hundreds of thousands of dollars raised and spent.

Whoever wins the Republican primary will face off with 2 term Democratic Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, who has reportedly $2 million to spend on this campaign. Libertarian Dr. Steven Stoltz is also a candidate in the General Election on November 2nd.

The comparable one hour interview of the GOP CD 7 U.S. House candidates was held on Friday July 23, with the 4 candidates running in that race: Ruth McClung, Terry Myers, Joe Sweeney, and Robert Wilson. View it online here.

The winner of that CD 7 Republican primary race will face off with 4 term Democratic Congressman Raul Grijalva, and the winner of the Libertarian primary (either Andrew Ibarra or George Keane). The KUAT interview of those two Libertarians on July 28 is also online (click here).

Let the best man (or woman) win.