Did you know that 4 of the 5 recent Arizona Governors have been women?

I attended a panel discussion at the 2nd Annual Tucson Festival of Books about women politicians in Arizona (pre 1950). Then I started thinking about the women politicians since then and now:

Arizona Governors Rose Mofford (1988 to 1991), Jane Dee Hull (1997 to 2003), Janet Napolitano (2003 to 2009), Jan Brewer (2009 to present) were either Secretary of State or Attorney General before becoming Governor. Governor Brewer is seeking re-election in November, 2010. Prior to Governor Mofford, all of Arizona’s Governors were men.

Two of our 8 U.S. House Congressmembers are now women: Gabrielle Giffords (serving since 2007 in CD Eight) and Ann Kirkpatrick (serving since 2009 in CD One). Isabella Greenway was the first Congresswoman from Arizona (served 1933 to 1937).

Arizona's first Congresswoman Isabella Greenway

Two of the 5 Supervisors on the Pima County Board of Supervisors are women: Sharon Bronson (District 3) and Ann Day (District 1).

3 of our current 6 Tucson City Councilmembers are women: Shirley Scott (Ward 4), Karin Uhlich (Ward 3), and Regina Romero (Ward 1). At one time till December 2009 we had 4 women Councilmembers, including Nina Trasoff (Ward 6).

There are two women’s groups in Arizona promoting the election of more political office holders who are women:

The Arizona Women’s Political Caucus (AWPC) promotes pro-choice women candidates, saying on their website: “We are the only multi-partisan grassroots organization dedicated to increasing the number of pro-choice women in elected and appointed office. We work to help women attain leadership positions at all levels of government.” AWPC was founded in 1972 in Arizona.

Arizona List (founded in 2003) says they are “one of the state’s largest political networks and one of the largest financial resources for women candidates. We are the only Super PAC solely dedicated to electing women in Arizona. We are determined to change the face of Arizona by electing pro-choice Democratic women to state and local office.”

Arizona is in 9th place of 50 states in the percentage of women legislators (31.1%). Women hold 28 of the 90 legislative seats in Arizona. Several women candidates are running for the state legislature this year.

Up for re-election:

State Senate: Paula Aboud (LD 28), Linda Lopez (LD 29)

State House: Patricia Fleming (LD 25), Nancy Young Wright, (LD 26)

Candidates seeking election:

State Senate:
- Cheryl Cage in LD 26,
- House Rep. Olivia Cajero Bedford in LD 27,
- Marian McClure (former State House Rep.) in LD 30.

State House:
- Terri Lynn Proud in LD 26,
- Sally Ann Gonzales (former House Rep. & Pascua Yaqui Tribal Councilwoman) in LD 27,
- Mohur Sidhwa and Marlena Fineberg in LD 28,
- Andrea Dalessandro and Parralee Schneider in LD 30.

And only one woman attorney Felecia Rotellini is seeking the Arizona Attorney General job, in a field with five male attorneys. Pima County Attorney Barbara LaWall has been serving since 1996, the first woman in that office. Only four women (27%) serve as County Attorneys of the 15 counties in Arizona.

Granted, there are more men running than women in all these races, but women have indeed come a long way in Arizona politics since 1950. Happy Women’s Herstory Month of March again, as indicated by these women, who seem to have strong backgrounds to run for public office.

Just ask LD 28 House candidate Mohur Sidhwa about her story of being an Indian immigrant from Pakistan who chose (as a teenager) to come to America, instead of staying over there and wearing a burqa.

The Pima County Board of Supervisors today appointed (by 4-1 vote) Republican freshman LD 30 State House Rep. Frank Antenori to the LD30 State Senate seat recently vacated by Jonathan Paton, who resigned on Feb. 22 to run in the CD 8 U.S. House Republican primary. District 4 Supervisor Ray Carroll made the nomination, as LD 30 lies in his district. Carroll noted that Antenori had the “overwhelming support” of the LD 30 precinct committeemen/women at the recent meeting, in which he got 71 of the 77 votes on the first round of voting.

Democrat District 5 Supervisor Richard Elias stated that he was voting no because Rep. Antenori had “publicly threatened the Board (of supervisors) for political gain”, and was “heading Arizona in the wrong direction.”

Frank Antenori

Antenori, a former “Green Beret”, was elected to the Arizona State House in 2008 and had also been a candidate for the CD 8 U.S. House seat in 2006. The other Republicans nominated by the LD 30 precinct committeemen (and women) for this vacant seat on Feb. 28 were former 2 term LD 30 House. Rep. Randy Graf (served 2000-2004), and LD 30 Precinct Chairman Ted Vogt, a 3rd year law student at the University of Arizona and a former Captain in the Air Force. Graf has been reported to be a part-time consultant for the proposed Rosemont Copper Mine by Augusta Resources, and was formerly a golf pro.

With one of the two LD 30 House Rep. seats now being vacated by Antenori, a similar appointment process will be occurring to fill Antenori’s house seat.

Antenori will serve Paton’s unexpired term till November, when the general election for LD 30 State Senate will determine the winner. He has already announced his candidacy for this state senate seat, along with former 4 term LD 30 State House Rep. Republican Marian McClure
(who recently served from 2001 to 2008). McClure lead the fight against the pay day loan industry in Arizona, to sunset on June 30, 2010. She was termed out of her state house seat and ran unsuccessfully for Arizona Corporation Commission.

The winner of that Republican primary on August 24 will likely face Democrat candidate Dr. Todd Camenisch, a UA science professor and Catalina Foothills governing board member. No other candidates have announced at this time. LD 30 encompasses parts of East Tucson as well as Green Valley, Sonoita, Elgin, and Sierra Vista.

According to the Pima County Recorder’s office, these are the number of registered voters by political party registration:
LEGISLATIVE DISTRICT 30
32,125 Democrats
44,385 Republicans
718 Libertarians
125 Green
29,043 Others (Independents)
106,396 Total

3/4/10 update from Antenori campaign: He is resigning today at 12:30 p.m. from his State House seat, will be sworn in at 1 p.m. to the State Senate.

77 certified LD 30 Republican precinct committeemen and women selected 3 names to send to the Pima County Board of Supervisors, to fill the vacant LD 30 State Senate seat (created by the resignation of Jonathan Paton on Feb. 22).

Four men were nominated from the floor: former LD 9 State House Rep. Bill McGibbon (1992-2000), current LD 30 state House Rep. Frank Antenori, LD 30 Precinct Chairman Ted Vogt, and former LD 30 State House Rep. Randy Graf (2000-2004). Each man gave a 5 minute speech about why they wanted to be one of the 3 names to be submitted for consideration.

There were 3 separate written elections to select 3 names, as each name required 39 (more than half) of the 77 votes to qualify. Antenori received 71 votes on the first election, followed by Vogt who got 50 votes on the 2nd election, and then Graf got 56 on the 3rd election. Bill McGibbon was the name circulated by the media prior to today as one of the likely nominees, but Vogt was a new nominee. He served as Captain in the U.S. Air Force and is now a third year law student at the U of A. Vogt also mentioned in his introductory speech that he had clerked for U.S. Senator Jon Kyl and for VP Dick Cheney, but has never served in his own elected capacity.

Now it will be up to the Pima County Board of Supervisors to select Paton’s replacement. Supervisor Ray Carroll invited everyone to attend the board meeting on Tuesday, March 2, at 9 a.m. at 130 W. Congress (first floor),to find out whom the board will select. Usually the Supervisors select the top vote getter, but not necessarily– as the top precinct vote getter in State House LD 26 did not get the appointment, after Rep. Lena Seradnik resigned in 2008.

This LD 30 meeting was held this afternoon at Desert Christian High School, 7575 E. Speedway.

Also in attendance today:CD8 U.S. House candidate Jonathan Paton, LD 30 State House Rep. David Gowan, former LD 30 State House Rep. Marian McClure, National committeeman Bruce Ash, LD 30 State House candidate Doug Sposito.

Update: click here for 3/2/10 meeting results of Pima County Board of Supervisors.