Chris DeSimone and Joe Higgins (morning radio talk show hosts on KVOI “Wake Up Tucson”) will be the guest speakers at the

Eastside Republicans meeting
April 20, 2011
6:30 p.m.
Bear Canyon Branch Library, 8959 E. Tanque Verde Rd. (community room)

Their topic is “Pima County– who are the players and what’s the impact”.

“Wake Up Tucson offers a unique perspective about the southern Arizona region. The topics range from small business, tourism, politics, economic opportunities and education. Tucson and the surrounding communities are at a turning point. The challenges and obstacles are great. Now more than ever the community needs to engage in a discussion about our options. The host are highly involved in the community and bring first hand accounts to their listeners. Wake Up Tucson is a radio show with a mission and purpose to educate the community and engage the listeners to get involved in our community. ”

KVOI’s radio dial is 1030AM, and this “Wake up Tucson” show airs 8 to 10 a.m. weekdays.

Meeting is free and open to the public.

Higgins ran for District 1 Pima County Supervisor in the September 2008 Republican primary against current Supervisor Ann Day.
He got 47.19% of the vote (8798 votes) to Day’s 52.75% (9835 votes). She is up for re-election in 2012. And I hear that Higgins is considering another bid for this office.

More info: Lori Oien, 520-749-3471, oienjmo@msn.com, Parralee Schneider, 520-749-0312, pmstucson@aol.com.

On March 3 KUAT Channel 6 host Kimberly Craft interviewed the two Republicans now running for Mayor of the City of Tucson (from their website, www.azpm.org):

Tucson Mayor Bob Walkup has announced that he will not run for another term. Now the field of those hoping to replace him is getting crowded.

Two more contenders have announced their candidacy. They are former county supervisor Ron Asta and Shaun McClusky, who has run previously for city council and was a strong opponent of raising city sales taxes in the last election. Both Republicans, they explain their reasons for running and the objectives they hope to accomplish, including making the landscape better for business and retaining young people to assume well-paying jobs.

To view this interview, log on by clicking below:

http://ondemand.azpm.org/videoshorts/watch/2011/3/3/1841-mayoral-race-draws-new-contenders/

My previous blogs on Shaun McClusky (click here), and Ron Asta (click here). McClusky ran for the Ward 5 Council seat in November, 2009 and Ron Asta is a prior District 1 Pima County Supervisor.

The only Democrat (so far) who has filed to run for Mayor is political newcomer/attorney Jonathan Rothschild. His interview by Craft on KUAT was on January 28 (click here).

McClusky and Asta will be speaking to the Eastside Republicans on March 16, along with the Ward 4 Council candidate Tyler Vogt, at the Golf Links branch library, 9640 E. Golf Links Road, at 6:30 p.m.

Does incumbency matter in political campaigns? Do voters just elect the “same old same old” politician during each election cycle?

I used to think that a sitting politician always got re-elected– except if they had faced a scandal (personal or financial) prior to the election.

So I was surprised when one term President George H.W. Bush (father of President George W. Bush) and Vice President Dan Quayle were not re-elected and lost to then-Governor Bill Clinton and his running mate then-U.S. Senator Al Gore in 1992.

President Bush had no scandal prior to the General Election, but the American voters must have thought otherwise of his capabilities, and went for the new Democratic contender.

President George H.W. Bush

Remember Democrat incumbent Congressman Gary Condit of California who lost his re-election bid, due to the alleged scandal over missing person Chandra Levy?

On the local scene, incumbent Ward 6 Democratic Councilmember Nina Trasoff narrowly lost the November, 2009 election to political newcomer Republican Steve Kozachik. People told me it was due to the financial mess of Rio Nuevo downtown development.

So, coming up on August 24 (Arizona primary) we have several incumbents running, with opposition in the primary:

–Republican U.S. Senate John McCain (facing former Congressman J.D. Hayworth & Jim Deakin)
–Republican Governor Jan Brewer (facing Dr. Matt Jette)
–Republican Corporation Commissioner Gary Pierce (facing Brenda Burns and Barry Wong, but for 2 seats)

and in the Legislature in Southern Arizona:

–Republican LD 30 State Senator Ted Antenori (facing former House Rep. Marian McClure)

–Republican LD 26 House Rep. Vic Williams (facing Wade McLean and Terri Proud, but for 2 seats)

–Democrat LD 28 House Rep. Steve Farley (facing Ted Prezelski, Mohur Sidhwa, Tim Sultan, and former House Rep. Bruce Wheeler, but for 2 seats)

–Republicans LD 30 House Rep. David Gowan and Rep.Ted Vogt (facing Brian Abbott, Kurt Knurr, Doug Sposito and Parralee Schneider, for 2 seats). These candidates are meeting tonight at the Eastside Republicans meeting (click here).

Of course, it is conceivable (since voters are volatile and incumbency does not guarantee the seat) that the incumbents could lose, and brand new candidates may be selected in their stead. After all, political experience isn’t everything. But name recognition may be.

Stay tuned if any or all of these incumbents earn enough of the people’s votes to win their primaries, to face other contenders in the General Election on November 2nd.

Do you remember other incumbents who have lost their seats, and for what reason (s)?