Arizona Citizens Clean Election Commission (CCEC) held debates between contested races in the Southern AZ legislative districts, with candidates participating in Clean Elections program and also those running traditionally. “Candidates who participate in Clean Elections to run for office are required to attend one debate in the general election unless they are running unopposed. Candidates who are not running with Clean Elections funding are allowed to join the debate, but their attendance is optional.”

Click on this link & go to the respective date to find the debate you’re interested in viewing. Mostly audience questions were asked at each debate so there were a wide range of questions and answers by these candidates.

http://www.cleanelections101.com/debates

LD 2 House race: September 20 — Chris John Ackerley (R), Andrea Dalessandro (D), Rosanna Gabaldon (D) – all three are Clean Elections candidates
State Senate seat in LD 2: Senator Linda Lopez (D, incumbent in LD 29) faces write-in opposition from Don Woolley (R) and there was no CCEC debate.

LD 11 House & Senate: September 24 — Senate: Jo Holt (D) vs. Al Melvin (R) – Holt is participating in Clean Elections
House: Dave Joseph (D), Steve Smith ( R) – Joseph is participating in Clean Elections. Adam Kwasman (R) is running traditionally so his presence was optional & he did not attend.

LD 9 House & Senate: October 4 — Senate: Steve Farley (D) vs. Tyler Mott (R) – Mott is a Clean elections candidate
House: Ethan Orr (R), Mohur Sarah Sidhwa (D), Victoria Steele (D) – Sidhwa is a Clean elections candidate

LD 10 House: October 10– Todd Clodfelter (R), Stefanie Mach (D), Ted Vogt (R), Bruce Wheeler (D) – only Clodfelter is a Clean elections candidate
State Senate seat in LD 10 has two candidates, both running traditionally, so no CCEC debate was held between Senator Frank Antenori (R, incumbent in LD 30) and David Bradley (D).

LD 14 House & Senate: October 10– Senate: Pat Fleming (D) vs. Gail Griffin (R) – Fleming is a Clean Elections candidate
House: David Gowan (R), Robert Leach (D), David Stevens (R), Mark Stonebraker (D) – Leach & Stonebraker are Clean Elections candidates. The 3 Republicans are running traditionally for the Senate and two House seats, and did not attend this debate as their presence was optional.

Being as early voting for the Nov. 6 general started on October 11, if you’re undecided, please view these videos to listen & consider whom to vote for in your Legislative District – one for State Senate, two for State House.

Early voting starts today in AZ General election (slated for Nov. 6), so don’t forget to vote for U.S. President and Vice Presidential running mates:

Barack Obama (D), and Joe Biden, incumbents
Gary Johnson (L), and James Gray
Mitt Romney (R), and Paul Ryan
Jill Stein (G), and Cheri Honkala

Here’s the list of who’s running in the State of Arizona, with emphasis on the Southern AZ seats:

U.S. Senate (open seat)
Richard Carmona (D)
Jeff Flake (R)
Marc Victor (L)

CD 1 (open seat)
Kim Allen (L)
Ann Kirkpatrick (D)
Jonathan Paton (R)

CD 2
Ron Barber (D), incumbent CD 8
Martha McSally (R)

CD 3
Raul Grijalva (D), incumbent CD 7
Blanca Guerra (L)
Gabriela Saucedo Mercer (R)

LD 2
State Senate
Linda Lopez (D), incumbent LD 29
Don Woolley (R), write-in

State House – 2 seats
Chris John Ackerley (R)
Andrea Dalessandro (D)
Rosanna Gabaldon (D)

LD 3
State Senate (unopposed)
Olivia Cajero Bedford, incumbent LD 27

State House – 2 seats (unopposed)
Sally Ann Gonzales (D), incumbent LD 27
Macario Saldate (D), incumbent LD 27

LD 9
State Senate
Steve Farley (D)
Tyler Mott (R)

State House – 2 seats
Ethan Orr (R)
Mohur Sarah Sidhwa (D)
Victoria Steele (D)

LD 10
State Senate
Frank Antenori (R), incumbent LD 30
David Bradley (D)

State House – 2 seats
Todd Clodfelter (R)
Stefanie Mach (D)
Ted Vogt (R), incumbent LD 30
Bruce Wheeler (D), incumbent LD 28

LD 11
State Senate
Jo Holt (D)
Al Melvin (R), incumbent LD 26

State House – 2 seats
Dave Joseph (D)
Adam Kwasman (R)
Steve Smith (R)

LD 14
State Senate
Pat Fleming (D)
Gail Griffin (R), incumbent LD 25

State House – 2 seats
David Gowan ( R), incumbent LD 30
Robert Leach (D)
David Stevens (R), incumbent LD 25
Mark Stonebracker (D)

Corporation Commission (3 seats)
Robert Burns (R)
Marcia Busching (D)
Christopher Gohl (L)
Sandra Kennedy (D), incumbent
Thomas Meadows (G)
Paul Newman (D), incumbent
Daniel Pout (G)
Susan Bitter Smith (R)
Bob Stump (R), incumbent

Pima County Assessor (unopposed)
Bill Staples (D), incumbent

Pima County Attorney
Claudia Ellquist (G)
Barbara LaWall (D), incumbent

Pima County Recorder
Bill Beard (R)
F. Ann Rodriguez (D), incumbent

Pima County Sheriff
Dave Croteau (G)
Clarence Dupnik (D), incumbent
Mark Napier (R)

Pima County Superintendent of Schools (unopposed)
Linda Arzoumanian (R), incumbent

Board of Supervisors
District 1 (open seat)
Ally Miller (R)
Nancy Young Wright (D)

District 2
Jim Kelley (R)
Ramon Valadez (D), incumbent

District 3
Tanner Bell (R)
Sharon Bronson (D), incumbent

District 4 (unopposed)
Ray Carroll (R),incumbent

District 5
Richard Elias (D), incumbent
Fernando Gonzales (R)

Pima County Treasurer
Beth Ford (R), incumbent
Elaine Richardson

TUSD Governing Board (nonpartisan race, 3 seats):

Menelik Bakari
Debe Campos-Fleenor
Don Cotton
Miguel Cuevas,incumbent
Ralph Ellinwood
Kristel Foster
John Hunnicutt
Camy Juarez
Robert Medler
Betts Putnam-Hidalgo
Mark Stegeman, incumbent
Alex Sugiyama, incumbent

Pima Community College governing board (non partisan,2 seats):

District 3:
Sylvia Lee
“Vicki” Marshall, incumbent

District 5:
Marty Cortez, incumbent
Richard Fridena
Francis Saitta

Vote wisely today, and on or before November 6th. Early ballots are being mailed today so they should arrive shortly in your mail box. You should return them by Friday November 2nd to be counted in time for the results on General Election night.

There are several contested State Senate & House races in LD 2, 9, 10, 11 in the upcoming Nov. 6 General Election. Candidates in LD 3 are unopposed: State Senator Olivia Cajero Bedford, House Reps. Sally Ann Gonzales and Macario Saldate. LD 2 State Senator Linda Lopez is running unopposed. Attend these forums to meet & ask questions of your future legislative representatives.

If you’re unsure of who’s running in your Legislative District (LD), go to AZ Secretary of State’s website (click here for official list). Each LD elects one Senator and two House representatives to the AZ State Legislature, every two years.

All forums (between October 1 and 12) are from 10 a.m. to 12 noon. Vote wisely on or before Nov. 6, with early voting starting on Oct. 11.