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 Governor Rick Perry of Texas has withdrawn from the race, but his name will be on the ballot.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.

Jim Nintzel over at the Tucson Weekly reported today that former LD 26 House Rep. Democrat Nancy Young Wright has formed an exploratory committee to seek the office of District 1 Pima County Supervisor. Current District 1 Republican Supervisor Ann Day announced in August that she was not seeking re-election in 2012. Click here for Nintzel’s article.

Nancy Young Wright served 3 years in the Arizona State House. She was first appointed to that seat by the Pima County Board of Supervisors when former Rep. Lena Saradnik resigned in early 2008 after suffering a stroke, and before that Nancy had served 10 years on the Amphi District School Board. Young Wright was elected to her seat in Nov. 2008 but was defeated in the Nov. 2010 race for re-election, when House Rep. Vic Williams and political newcomer Terri Proud won the 2 seats in LD 26 in a close race.

Republicans mortgage banker Stuart McDaniel (click here) and businesswoman Ally Miller (click here) have already announced for this seat. Other potential candidates are current 2 term LD 26 House Rep. Republican Vic Williams, and Charles Bowles, vice president of sales and marketing for Diamond Ventures, who is also a Republican.

District 1 current registered voters per Pima County Recorders’ Office:

Democrat 36, 642
Republican 47,207
Independent/other 34,200
Libertarian 734
Green 213

The other four Pima County Supervisors– Current Chair Ramon Valadez (District 2), Sharon Bronson (District 3), Ray Carroll (District 4) and Richard Elias (District 5) are expected to seek re-election. No one has announced any challenge (as yet) to these incumbent Supervisors.

1/9/12 UPDATE: Young Wright officially entered this race on January 6, 2012.

Young Wright for Supervisor, P.O. Box 36348, Tucson, AZ 85740, email: nyw1@earthlink.net
520 -742-7283, www.nancyyoungwright.com (under construction).

1/10/12 UPDATE: Former CD 8 House candidate Mike Hellon entered this race (click here).

1/26/12 UPDATE: LD 26 Rep. Vic Williams has entered this race (click here).