Arizona Citizens Clean Elections Commission has scheduled 3 debates in Tucson for the upcoming primary:

— District 9 – June 25, 2012

House of Representatives Democrats

6:00 pm

Pima Community College Downtown Campus

1255 N Stone Ave

Tucson, Az 85709

District 9 Democrats seeking 2 House seats: Dustin Cox (former candidate LD 27 House), Mohur Sidhwa (former candidate LD 28 House), Victoria Steele, political newcomer.

— District 10 – July 10, 2012

House of Representatives Democrats

6:00 pm

Pima Community College District Office

4905 E Broadway Blvd

Tucson, AZ 85709

District 10 Democrats seeking 2 House seats: Stefanie Mach and Brandon Patrick, both political newcomers; Bruce Wheeler, current LD 28 House Rep. & former Tucson City Councilmember.

— District 3 – July 24, 2012

Senate Democrats

6:00 pm

Pima Community College West Campus

2202 W Anklam Rd

Tucson, AZ 85709

District 3 Democrats seeking one Senate seat: current LD 27 Senator Olivia Cajero Bedford vs. former LD 27 Senator Maria Garcia (widow appointed to the seat of the late LD 27 State Senator Jorge Luis Garcia).

For more info on these candidates, go to Pima County Democratic Party website (click here).

And as in the past, most of these debates are video recorded and a copy can be viewed a few days after the debate online at the CCEC website.

Independents & Democrats –attend these debates to decide whom to vote for in the upcoming Arizona primary on August 28.

Brian Miller

From reporter Jim Nintzel over at the Tucson Weekly, that CD 8 Congressional candidate Brian Miller, a Major and senior pilot in the United States Air Force Reserve, 45th Fighter Squadron at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, was elected to Chair of the Pima County Republican Party:

http://www.tucsonweekly.com/TheRange/archives/2010/12/11/miller-elected-gop-county-chair

Miller, who made his political debut with an unsuccessful campaign for the GOP nomination in Congressional District 8, hails from the Ron Paul wing of the party—in general, he’s a get-the-government-out-of-our-lives kind of guy who opposes taxes, government involvement in health care and all that. But he also wants to see the U.S. out of foreign entanglements in Afghanistan and Iraq and favors immigration-reform efforts over building a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border.

Miller suspended his CD 8 campaign on August 11, a few weeks before the August 24 primary, and threw his support behind fellow candidate former LD 30 State Senator Jonathan Paton, who lost to candidate Jesse Kelly in the primary. Kelly then lost to Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords by 4156 votes in the General Election.

In his final press release when he suspended his CD 8 campaign, Miller described himself as “a Constitutional conservative Republican” and that he had run his campaign on a “platform of limited government, individual freedom, and peace through strength.”

Miller replaces Bob Westerman, current Pima GOP Chair, who was an unsuccessful candidate against recently deceased Senator Jorge Luis Garcia for LD 27 State Senate in November, 2008.

I am sure we will be seeing a lot of Brian Miller on TV debating attorney Jeff Rogers, the Chair of the Pima County Democratic Party (who is expected to retain his position).

Memorial Services for the late LD 27 State Senator/Senate Minority Leader Jorge Luis Garcia have been scheduled.

Visitation will be at Carillo’s Tucson Mortuary, 204 S. Stone Avenue, just south of Broadway, on Thursday, October 21st
from 5-10:00 pm. The rosary will begin at 7:00pm.

Mass will be held at Saints Peter and Paul Parish — 1946 E. Lee Street – located right across from University Medical Center (UMC) on the NE corner of Lee and Campbell, on Friday, October 22, at 10:00 am.

In lieu of flowers, donations are requested for organizations that help others:
the designated charities are the Society of St. Vincent de Paul of Tucson (www.svdptucson.org) and Catholic Tuition Support Organization (www.ctso-tucson.com).

I wrote a previous blog in memory of Senator Garcia (click here), who passed away suddenly due to a heart attack on October 15.

He was a Democratic candidate for the Arizona Corporation Commission (2 open seats), having served 8 years in the State Senate and 4 years in the State House of Representatives. His name will remain on the General Election ballot, since early voting began on October 7.

Rest in peace Jorge.