Paul Eckerstrom, taken by Curtis Dutiel

Tucson attorney Paul Eckerstrom, Co-chair of the Start Our State (SOS) campaign to separate Pima County from the State of Arizona will be speaking at Democrats of Greater Tucson (DGT) on April 4.

This political committee started in late February and has been reported extensively on by Tucsoncitizen.com blogger/attorney Hugh Holub (“View from Baja Arizona”), who is somewhat credited with this idea of promoting the formation of a Southern Arizona state, tentatively called “Baja Arizona”. Click here (http://tucsoncitizen.com/view-from-baja-arizona/2011/02/25/americas-51st-state-movement-starts-to-free-baja-arizona/) for one of Hugh’s first blogs on this subject.

Eckerstrom is a former Chair of the Pima County Democratic Party.The other SOS Co-chair is Peter Hormel, another attorney activist in Tucson who was once a Green Party of Pima County candidate for Pima County Attorney, and the Treasurer is attorney David Euchner, former Chair of the Pima County Libertarian Party. These three local attorneys, from each of the 3 parties are leading the way in this “separation for equal representation” movement.

To establish a new state in Southern Arizona free of the un-American, unconstitutional machinations of the Arizona legislature and to restore our region’s credibility as a place welcoming to others, open to commerce, and friendly to its neighbors.

(from the SOS website)

Websites: http://startourstate.com/, and http://www.facebook.com/startourstate (with 3245 “likes” so far). Donations can be sent to “Start Our State”, P. B. Box 308, Tucson 85702 or online via Paypal, email is startourstate@gmail.com. “Free Baja Arizona” bumper stickers are for sale as well.

I heard Paul speak at Drinking Liberally (at The Shanty) on February 27, and about 30 people in the bar agreed that they no longer wanted to be associated with the conservative Arizona legislature. One fellow said that the current situation felt like “taxation without representation” because the current legislators did not represent the interests of the tax paying people here in Pima County.

And here’s Paul being interviewed on KUAT TV Channel 6 on March 11: http://www.azpm.org/politics/story/2011/3/11/1830-is-baja-arizona-for-real/

If you want to hear about this movement to separate/secede from the State of Arizona which has gotten a lot of media coverage (even nationally), log onto their website, read Hugh Holub’s numerous articles, and/or go to DGT on April 4.

DGT meets at the Dragon View Restaurant, 400 N. Bonita (between W. St. Mary’s Road and W. Congress) on Mondays at high noon (except holidays). Chinese buffet lunch costs $8.50 including drink & tip, or just $2.50 for a drink.

From the Arizona Secretary of State’s election website of the winners from yesterday’s General Election. Click here. Updates to follow for close races.
99.87 % precincts reporting (2236 of 2239), with a 43.68 % voter turnout.

U.S. Senate: incumbent Senator John McCain (R)

U.S. House CD7: Congressman Raul Grijalva (D)

U.S. House CD 8: Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords (D)

Governor of Arizona: incumbent Governor Jan Brewer (R)

Secretary of State: incumbent Ken Bennett (R)

Treasurer: Doug Ducey (R)

Attorney General: Tom Horne (R)

Superintendent of Public Instruction: John Huppenthal (R)

Corporation Commission (2 seats): Brenda Burns (R), incumbent Gary Pierce (R)

State Mine Inspector: incumbent Joe Hart (R)

————-

In Southern Arizona legislative districts:

LD 25 Senate: Gail Griffin (R)
House: Peggy Judd (R) & Rep. David Stevens (R), incumbent

LD 26 Senate: Senator Al Melvin (R), incumbent
House: Terri Proud (R) and Rep. Vic Williams (R)

LD 27 Senate: Rep.Olivia Cajero Bedford (D)
House: Sally Ann Gonzales (D), Dr. Macario Saldate (D)

LD 28 Senate: Senator Paula Aboud (D), incumbent
House: Rep. Steve Farley (D), incumbent & Bruce Wheeler (D)

LD 29 Senate: Senator Linda Lopez (D), incumbent
House: Rep. Daniel Patterson (D), Rep. Dr. Matt Heinz, (D), (both incumbents)

LD 30 Senate: Senator Frank Antenori (R), incumbent
House: Rep. David Gowan (R), Rep. Ted Vogt (R), (both incumbents)

For Pima County election results, click here.

Clerk of the Superior Court: Patti Noland (R), incumbent

TUSD Governing Board (2 seats): Adelita Grijalva, incumbent & Michael Hicks

City of Tucson Propositions 400 (proposed sales tax increase) and 401 (proposed City Charter changes) –both NO

I will be publishing updates on the LD 26 House race and some of the state-wide propositions which are too close to call at press time. Check the Secretary of State’s website for Propositions 106 to 302.

Congratulations to all the winners!

11/3 Update: Hugh Holub “View from Baja Arizona” reports that Pima County has about 35,000 ballots (early & provisional) to still count, so the outcomes of the close races may still change. Read his article:
http://tucsoncitizen.com/view-from-baja-arizona/2010/11/03/pima-county-cant-run-an-election/

UPDATE: Tucson Weekly is reporting that there are 38,000 uncounted ballots, so this process may take till Saturday:

http://www.tucsonweekly.com/TheRange/archives/2010/11/03/election-2008-whats-left-to-count-an-estimated-50k-ballots

Looks like Propositions 110, 112 and 203 are too close to call.

UPDATE, 4:30 p.m. 11/3/10: 100% of the precincts are now counted, 43.77 % voter turnout, waiting for the hundreds of early/provisional ballots statewide to be counted. I will be checking & reporting only if the lead changes in any of the close races:

CD 7, CD 8, LD 26 House, Propositions 110, 112 and 203.
Grijalva ahead by 3915 votes, Giffords by 2348 now, small changes since this morning (3885 and 2447 respectively).
And I understand that neither Jesse Kelly nor Ruth McClung will concede till all votes are counted. Congressman Grijalva has declared victory per other news sources (AZ Daily Star & KUAT).

UPDATE: 11/4 5:22 p.m. results from SOS website: Grijalva’s lead has now increased to 5,982 votes and Giffords by 3,055.

UPDATE: 11/5 email from SOS office states that : “As of Friday afternoon, there are an estimated 135,000 early ballots and 83,000 provisional ballots statewide that are yet to be processed and counted.” Deadline is November 12. Grijalva’s lead has increased to 6,327 and Giffords’ to 3,848 (5 p.m.).

7:33 p.m. Giffords has declared victory and Kelly has conceded, but I did not waver from the original declaration of her win on Wednesday morning, Nov. 3. Only races still undetermined are in LD 26 House and those 3 propositions (all still losing): 110, 112, and 203.

UPDATE 11/6: Ruth McClung sent out an email that she will not concede till all votes are counted, with Grijalva’s lead at 6061 this morning (8 a.m.). So stay tuned till next week sometime. (Giffords lead today is 3641, but that race seems decided as her lead was 2447 on 11/3). Voter turnout figures are now at 49.38%. Prop. 112 have switched to yes vote.

11/9 UPDATE: no changes in LD 26 House, Prop. 110 & 203 (still losing), but Prop. 112 now winning. Voter turnout reported at 52.26%.

11/9 further update: Per Sec. of State’s office:”As of Tuesday afternoon, there are just over 30,000 early ballots and slightly fewer than 59,000 provisional ballots statewide that are yet to be processed and counted.” Imagine that, a week after the General election and this many votes still to be counted, by Friday’s deadline.

11/10 Pima County counting complete per AZ Daily Star blog, and Rep. Nancy Young Wright has lost by 745 votes in LD 26. Voter turnout in Pima County was 65%.
http://azstarnet.com/news/blogs/pueblo-politics/article_5dac3222-ed0f-11df-97d3-001cc4c002e0.html. Maricopa County ballots still being processed.

11/12 Prop. 203 (medical marijuana) took the lead today by 4421 votes! Prop. 112 in a dead heat of 43 votes (ahead) which may trigger a recount, depending on what happens with the remaining 10,000 ballots to be counted by Maricopa County tomorrow. Stay tuned. Recount is automatic if the vote difference is 200 votes or less for these statewide propositions.