Here are photos (front & back) of the President Pro Tempore commemorative coin he sent me last year:

18 members of my Sugiyama family attended his Big Island memorial service on December 27, 2012 at the Afook-Chinen Civic Auditorium in Hilo, Hawaii. Over a thousand people came through that afternoon to say a final “aloha” to this distinguished man. His 2nd wife Irene Hirano Inouye and his only child Kenny Inouye were present to receive condolences from constituents, politicians, veterans, seniors, Native Hawaiians, relatives — all people who knew him and knew his good work over 50 years in the U.S. Senate and three and a half years in the U.S. House of Representatives. Particularly moving was the singing of his favorite songs “Danny Boy” and “Kaimana Hila” sung by local Hilo musicians Mark Yamanaka and Friends. Junior Hawaii Senator Dan Akaka’s son Kahu Daniel “Kaniela” Akaka, Jr. performed the invocation & benediction.
Link to Hawaii Tribune Herald article on this service, with photos (click here).

Memorial services were held for the Senator at the National Cathedral in Washington, D.C, Punchbowl National Cemetery of the Pacific in Honolulu (where his first wife Maggie Awamura Inouye is buried), and on the neighbor islands of Hawaii, Kauai, and Maui. U.S. President Barack Obama spoke at the Washington National Cathedral and attended the service at Punchbowl.

Inouye was also decorated for being a member of the famous & extremely courageous 442nd Regimental Combat team, which served honorably in Europe during WWII. He was a 2nd Lt. who lost his right arm in a battle in 1945 in Italy. That combat team was famous for their motto “Go fo’ broke”, which in Pidgin English means to use all your best to prevail, to “wager everything”.

He was like that, a man who exemplified excellence, competence, and dedication. As a young woman attorney I worked for him for 2 years on Capitol Hill at his Senate office, and we became friends thereafter. He was like an “Uncle” to me and our family. To read my previous tribute on the day he passed away (click here). We Hawaiians will miss him.

Mahalo nui loat (thank you very much) Senator for your decades of public service. You really did “go fo’ broke.”

Latest unofficial election returns from Secretary of State’s website, click here for updates.

UPDATE: Will try to update each evening as ballots are counted by Pima County and updated by AZ Sec. of State–but only for CD 1, CD 2, LD 9 House, LD 10 House, PCC District 5 Board, TUSD School Board which are close races.

For updates after Nov. 10, go to new summary post: http://tucsoncitizen.com/community/2012/11/10/2012-arizona-general-election-updates/

U.S. Senate (open seat)
Richard Carmona (D) 754,416
Jeff Flake (R) 834,206
Marc Victor (L) 72,227

CD 1 (open seat) Kirkpatrick is still leading as of 11/9/12
Kim Allen (L) 13,061
Ann Kirkpatrick (D) 107,750
Jonathan Paton (R) 101,486

CD 2 – may be too close to call – McSally is leading on 11/9/12
Ron Barber (D), incumbent CD 8, 125,187
Martha McSally (R) 125,223

CD 3
Raul Grijalva (D), incumbent CD 7, 67,595
Blanca Guerra (L) 5168
Gabriela Saucedo Mercer (R) 46,419

LD 2
State Senate
Linda Lopez (D), incumbent LD 29, 31,118

State House – 2 seats
Chris John Ackerley (R) 19,698
Andrea Dalessandro (D) 22,483
Rosanna Gabaldon (D) 21,371

LD 3
State Senate (unopposed)
Olivia Cajero Bedford, incumbent LD 27, 31,124

State House – 2 seats (unopposed)
Sally Ann Gonzales (D), incumbent LD 27, 25,986
Macario Saldate (D), incumbent LD 27, 22,482

LD 9
State Senate
Steve Farley (D), 38,191
Tyler Mott (R), 31,361

State House – 2 seats: Orr and Steele still leading as of 11/9/12
Ethan Orr (R), 37,622
Mohur Sarah Sidhwa (D), 35,237
Victoria Steele (D), 39,053

LD 10
State Senate
Frank Antenori (R), incumbent LD 30, 31,919
David Bradley (D), 37,157

State House – 2 seats: Mach & Wheeler still leading as of 11/9/12
Todd Clodfelter (R, 31,712
Stefanie Mach (D), 35,535
Ted Vogt (R), incumbent LD 30, 33,389
Bruce Wheeler (D), incumbent LD 28, 37,609

LD 11
State Senate
Jo Holt (D), 29,185
Al Melvin (R), incumbent LD 26, 38,590

State House – 2 seats
Dave Joseph (D), 27,843
Adam Kwasman (R), 33,517
Steve Smith (R), 35,860

LD 14
State Senate
Pat Fleming (D), 20,958
Gail Griffin (R), incumbent LD 25, 36,049

State House – 2 seats
David Gowan ( R), incumbent LD 30, 31,924
Robert Leach (D), 18,863
David Stevens (R), incumbent LD 25, 31,711
Mark Stonebracker (D), 18,863

Corporation Commission (3 seats)
Robert Burns (R), 696,394
Marcia Busching (D) 552,608
Christopher Gohl (L), 76,729
Sandra Kennedy (D), incumbent, 613,556
Thomas Meadows (G), 46,634
Paul Newman (D), incumbent, 618,251
Daniel Pout (G),39,133
Susan Bitter Smith (R), 690,049
Bob Stump (R), incumbent, 722,434

Returns from Pima County elections of some races, http://www.pima.gov/elections/results1.htm. Go online for the other races — Constables, Justices of the Peace, other school boards.

Pima County Assessor (unopposed)
Bill Staples (D), incumbent, 196,926

Pima County Attorney
Claudia Ellquist (G) – withdrawn
Barbara LaWall (D), incumbent, 195,334

Pima County Recorder
Bill Beard (R), 103,631
F. Ann Rodriguez (D), incumbent, 172,719

Pima County Sheriff
Dave Croteau (G), 9584
Clarence Dupnik (D), incumbent, 154,842
Mark Napier (R), 143,895

Pima County Superintendent of Schools (unopposed)
Linda Arzoumanian (R), incumbent, 187,671

Board of Supervisors
District 1 (open seat)
Ally Miller (R) 42,841
Nancy Young Wright (D) 36,119

District 2
Jim Kelley (R), 13,902
Ramon Valadez (D), incumbent, 21,787

District 3
Tanner Bell (R), 22,131
Sharon Bronson (D), incumbent, 25,771

District 4 (unopposed)
Ray Carroll (R),incumbent, 56,461

District 5
Richard Elias (D), incumbent, 28,431
Fernando Gonzales (R) 10,691

Pima County Treasurer
Beth Ford (R), incumbent, 152,020
Elaine Richardson, 124,456

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

District 3:
Sylvia Lee, 19,997
“Vicki” Marshall, incumbent, 12,525

District 5: Cortez still leading as of 11/9/12
Marty Cortez, incumbent, 14,186
Richard Fridena, 12,773
Francis Saitta, 6042

TUSD Governing Board (nonpartisan race, 3 seats): no change in status since election night, with Foster, Stegeman & Juarez leading

Menelik Bakari, 5990
Debe Campos-Fleenor, 24,799
Don Cotton 21,647
Miguel Cuevas,incumbent, 25,776
Ralph Ellinwood 19,597
Kristel Foster 36,158
John Hunnicutt 25,071
Camy Juarez 28,666
Robert Medler 13,083
Betts Putnam-Hidalgo 22,181
Mark Stegeman, incumbent 35,268
Alex Sugiyama, incumbent 18,107

For information/updates on which propositions won statewide & for City of Tucson, click here.

Stay tuned for updates, as I will post new figures as they become available — but only if the results are changed from this initial report, as ballots will be counted slowly day by day. This is the update of the latest returns, but not all precincts have reported statewide. Congratulations to the winners.

The Tucson Weekly also endorsed political newcomer Dr. Carmona, who served as the 17th Surgeon General of the U.S. under President George W. Bush’s administration. Dr. Carmona was a life-long Independent until he registered as a Democrat last November, 2011.

I knew trauma surgeon Dr. Carmona (slightly) when we were both Commissioners on the now defunct Domestic Violence Commission back in the 1990′s. His campaign website is www.carmonaforarizona.com.

Republican candidate for this U.S. Senate seat is CD 6 Congressman Jeff Flake, who has served in that office since 2003, and for CD 1 in 2001 – 2003. He is the nephew of the late State Senator Jake Flake.

Libertarian candidate is Marc Victor, a criminal defense attorney in Phoenix.

Dr. Richard Carmona

Read the endorsements for yourself, and vote on or before Nov. 6:

Star:http://azstarnet.com/news/opinion/editorial/carmona-s-bipartisan-views-will-benefit-all/article_e32337ef-d256-592c-b6f1-db0b580897ff.html

Weekly:http://www.tucsonweekly.com/tucson/the-tucson-weekly-2012-endorsements/Content?oid=3546754

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.

Official filing deadline was yesterday at 5 p.m. Here’s a partial listing of candidates for the primary election on August 28. Go to the website below for offices outside of Southern Arizona. I’ll be posting a separate listing for the Pima County elections.

Per AZ Secretary of State website: http://www.azsos.gov/election/2012/Primary/FullListing.htm

U.S. Senate
Richard Carmona (D)
David Ruben (D) – has withdrawn (see comment below)
Sheila Bilyeu (L)
Wil Cardon (R)
Jeff Flake (R)
Bryan Hackbarth (R)
Clair Van Steenwyk (R)

New Congressional District 1
Wenona Benally Baldenegro (D)
Ann Kirkpatrick (D)
Anthony Prowell (L)
Patrick Gatti (R)
Gaither Martin (R)
Jonathan Paton (R)
Douglas Wade (R)

New Congressional District 2
Ron Barber (D)
Matt Heinz (D)
Jesse Kelly (R)
Mark Koskiniemi (R)
Martha McSally (R)

New Congressional District 3
Amanda Aguirre (D)
Manny Arreguin (D)
Raul Grijalva (D), incumbent CD 7
Blanca Guerra (L)
Gabriela Saucedo Mercer (R)
Jaime Vasquez (R)

New Legislative District 2
State Senate: Linda Lopez – D, incumbent LD 29

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

New Legislative District 3
State Senate:
Olivia Cajero Bedford – D, incumbent LD 27
Maria Garcia – D

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

New Legislative District 9
State Senate:
Steve Farley – D
Tyler Mott – R

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

New Legislative District 10
State Senate:
David Bradley (D)
Frank Antenori (R), incumbent LD 30

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

New Legislative District 11
State Senate:
Jo Holt – D
Kim Allen – L
Al Melvin – R, incumbent LD 26

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

New Legislative District 14
State Senate:
Patricia Fleming – D
Gail Griffin – R, incumbent LD 25

State House:
Robert Leach – D
Mark Stonebracker – D
David Gowan – R, incumbent LD 30
David Stevens – R, incumbent LD 25

Corporation Commission (3 seats)
Marcia Busching -D
Sandra Kennedy –D, incumbent
Paul Newman- D, incumbent
Susan Bitter Smith –R
Robert Burns – R
Bob Stump – R, incumbent

So LD 30 State Senator Frank Antenori decided not to run for CD 2 against fellow Republicans Jesse Kelly and Martha McSally, and Democratic LD 28 House Rep. Matt Heinz decided to stay in the race against Ron Barber for that same seat. Senator Antenori will instead challenge former LD 28 House Rep. David Bradley for State Senate in LD 10.

Stay tuned for results from the CD 8 June 12 special general election which will likely affect this CD 2 race. In that race Democrat Ron Barber, Republican Jesse Kelly and Green Charlie Manolakis are facng off, but Manolakis is not running for the seat in CD 2.

And if you don’t know which new CD or LD you are voting in, here’s the link to the Arizona Independent Redistricting Commission’s final approved maps (click here).

The late Senator Barry Goldwater, from Tucson Citizen archive

Published in today’s Arizona Republic is an opinion piece with the late Senator Barry Goldwater’s 2/14/62 predictions in the Tucson Daily Citizen (predecessor to our Tucson Citizen newspaper) as to Arizona at age 100.

Here’s the online article
http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/opinions/articles/2012/03/06/20120306goldwaters-crystal-ball.html

but the newsprint article has photos (on pages B12 and B13) of the actual 1962 article itself. Good to see our Tucson Citizen newspaper still being remembered, since its demise on May 16, 2009.

Senator Goldwater had 10 predictions, but the most interesting one for us in Southern Arizona is when he stated in prediction #8 (prediction # 7 online version which is lacking one prediction of the 10 printed in the newspaper):

Our ties with Mexico will be much more firmly established in 2012 because, sometime within the next 50 years, the Mexican border will become as the Canadian border, a free one, with the formalities and red tape of ingress and egress cut to a minimum so that the residents of both countries can travel back and forth across the line as if it were not there.

Under Senator Goldwater’s predictions are comments by legal scholar Jack August Jr. who is also the Executive Director of the Barry Goldwater Center for the Southwest.

But the Senator was mostly correct in prediction # 2 since Phoenix is now the 6th largest U.S. city:

The forests will still be protected, as well as our parks and monuments. But even they will have as neighbors the people who today enjoy hardships to visit them.

But it will be the deserts that will support the majority of the new homes. Phoenix will have a population of about 3 million, and Tucson will grow to about 1.5 million.

Phoenix and Tucson will remain the two largest cities in the state, with Phoenix being either the fourth- or sixth-largest city in the United States.

At least Tucson is not at the 1.5 million mark yet…

More information on Senator Goldwater (click here), who represented Arizona in U.S. Senate from 1953 to 1965, 1969 to 1987, and was the Republican Presidential nominee for U.S. President in 1964. He died at age 89 in 1998.

Note that Dr. Richard Carmona is the keynote speaker at UMC’s DuVal Auditorium at 1 p.m., with panel discussions later at Roy P. Drachman Hall, 1295 N. Martin Ave. Dr. Carmona was the 17th Surgeon General of the U.S. and is currently a Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate in AZ.

Response to Dr. Carmona’s address “A National Strategy for Health Care” will be done by Dr. J. Lyle Bootman, UA Dean of the College of Pharmacy.

Ongoing Health & Wellness Fair: 1:30 to 4:30 p.m. also at Drachman Hall.

Registration deadline is next Wed. Feb. 29, go online to www.azhealthforum.org or call 520-477-1093. All events are free, and parking is free on the surface lots around UMC on Saturdays.

Learn the facts vs. the myths about how changes in health care programs, laws and policies can and will impact their lives and our economy.
Be better able to Evaluate alternative policy options being considered by Lawmakers.
Be Enabled to make better informed decisions about their own health care.
Be encouraged to Participate in the dialogue about improving health care in their own communities.

WARD 2 OPEN HOUSE AND TOY DRIVE
Join us for some holiday refreshments and a children’s Toy Drive to “Stuff the Bus” benefiting the Miracle on 31st Street Charity on Monday, December 20, 2010, from 4-7 p.m. at the Ward 2 Council Office located at 7575
E. Speedway.

Please feel free to stop by Ward 2 Eastside City Hall parking lot all day on December 20 starting at 9 a.m. to drop off new unwrapped toys. You may also bring some cookies, brownies or other holiday treats to share with others at the open house. You may RSVP by calling 791-4687.

Ward 2 Councilman Paul Cunningham was appointed in May, 2010 to this position, after the previous Councilman Rodney Glassman resigned to run for U.S. Senate against incumbent U.S. Senator John McCain.

Councilmember Paul Cunningham

Ward 2 Council staff:
Katie Bolger, Chief of Staff
Mary Fimbres, Council Administrative Assistant
Justin Searle, Council Administrative Assistant
Amanda Colón, Administrative Assistant
Demitri Downing, Aide

Mary Fimbres is Ward 5 Councilmember Richard Fimbres’ wife, and Demitri Downing is one of former LD 28 House Rep. Ted Downing’s sons.

Donate some toys, enjoy the refreshments, and meet the new Councilmember.

Other recent Council ward holidays events:

Ward 1 Tamale contest & holiday event on Dec. 9 (click here).

Wards 3 & 6 holiday events on Dec. 15 and 17 (click here).

Grouped By Vote Position
YEAs —55
Akaka (D-HI)
Bayh (D-IN)
Begich (D-AK)
Bennet (D-CO)
Bennett (R-UT)
Bingaman (D-NM)
Boxer (D-CA)
Brown (D-OH)
Cantwell (D-WA)
Cardin (D-MD)
Carper (D-DE)
Casey (D-PA)
Conrad (D-ND)
Coons (D-DE)
Dodd (D-CT)
Dorgan (D-ND)
Durbin (D-IL)
Feingold (D-WI)
Feinstein (D-CA)
Franken (D-MN)
Gillibrand (D-NY)
Harkin (D-IA)
Inouye (D-HI)
Johnson (D-SD)
Kerry (D-MA)
Klobuchar (D-MN)
Kohl (D-WI)
Landrieu (D-LA)
Lautenberg (D-NJ)
Leahy (D-VT)
Levin (D-MI)
Lieberman (ID-CT)
Lincoln (D-AR)
Lugar (R-IN)
McCaskill (D-MO)
Menendez (D-NJ)
Merkley (D-OR)
Mikulski (D-MD)
Murkowski (R-AK)
Murray (D-WA)
Nelson (D-FL)
Reed (D-RI)
Reid (D-NV)
Rockefeller (D-WV)
Sanders (I-VT)
Schumer (D-NY)
Shaheen (D-NH)
Specter (D-PA)
Stabenow (D-MI)
Udall (D-CO)
Udall (D-NM)
Warner (D-VA)
Webb (D-VA)
Whitehouse (D-RI)
Wyden (D-OR)

Note the three Republicans (Senator Richard Lugar of Indiana, Senator Bob Bennett of Utah and Senator Lisa Murkowski of Arkansas) who voted aye, and “Independent Democrat” Senator Joe Lieberman (Connecticut) and Independent Senator Bernie Sanders (Vermont) as well.

NAYs —41
Alexander (R-TN)
Barrasso (R-WY)
Baucus (D-MT)
Bond (R-MO)
Brown (R-MA)
Brownback (R-KS)
Burr (R-NC)
Chambliss (R-GA)
Coburn (R-OK)
Cochran (R-MS)
Collins (R-ME)
Corker (R-TN)
Cornyn (R-TX)
Crapo (R-ID)
DeMint (R-SC)
Ensign (R-NV)
Enzi (R-WY)
Graham (R-SC)
Grassley (R-IA)
Hagan (D-NC)
Hutchison (R-TX)
Inhofe (R-OK)
Isakson (R-GA)
Johanns (R-NE)
Kirk (R-IL)
Kyl (R-AZ)
LeMieux (R-FL)
McCain (R-AZ)
McConnell (R-KY)
Nelson (D-NE)
Pryor (D-AR)
Risch (R-ID)
Roberts (R-KS)
Sessions (R-AL)
Shelby (R-AL)
Snowe (R-ME)
Tester (D-MT)
Thune (R-SD)
Vitter (R-LA)
Voinovich (R-OH)
Wicker (R-MS)

Note the 5 Democrats who voted nay. 60 votes were needed on the aye side
for the measure to invoke cloture, which would have concluded debate on the matter so it could proceed to a vote for or against passage.

Not Voting – 4
Bunning (R-KY)
Gregg (R-NH)
Hatch (R-UT)
Manchin (D-WV)

More info on the breakdown on the vote (H.R. 5281) by home state, etc.
click here.

The DREAM Act (H.R. 5281) would have provided citizenship to young people under 30 years old who illegally came to this country with their parents (under the age of 16), by attending college or serving in the U.S. military for 2 years. The bill required people applying for DREAM Act status to pay a $525 fee and an additional $2,000 fee is required after five years.

I reported on this measure when it passed the U.S. House of Representatives on December 8, by a close vote of 216 to 198.

I also wrote a follow-up blog about the 8 House Republicans who voted for it (click here).

The U.S. Senate is currently composed of 56 Democrats, 42 Republicans, and 2 Independents.

Arizona’s U.S.Senators, John McCain and Jon Kyl are both Republicans, and voted against cloture today.