Antenori (now replaced by Vogt) vs. Farley debate (about SB 1070)

Wednesday, January 5, at the Arizona Inn, 2200 E. Elm Street (between Tucson Blvd. and Campbell):

The Off the Record Debate series, with breakfast from 7 to 7:30 a.m. will feature a political debate from 7:30 to 8 a.m. Republican National committeeman Bruce Ash will moderate a debate about SB 1070’s “effectiveness at curbing illegal immigration”. Arguing for SB 1070 is LD 30 State Senator Frank Antenori, and arguing against it is LD 28 House Rep. Steve Farley. Ash is also in contention to be Chair of the Arizona Republican Party.

The cost is $40 per debate or $110 for the remainder of the season. For reservations, e-mail David Foster at david@votesmart.org. The nonpartisan Project Vote Smart, which is housed at the University of Arizona, hosted a series of these debates which kicked off on November 11, 2009, promoting a public political discourse. Read more at UA News.

I heard these same gentleman debate last May for “Wake Up Tucson” 1030 AM KVOI Radio, (click here), just after SB 1070 was signed into law on April 23, 2010 by Governor Jan Brewer. They also debated about many legislative issues facing Arizona.

Should be another exciting debate between Antenori and Farley, especially as it concerns immigration, a hot issue in Tucson and Southern Arizona.

UPDATE: Senator Antenori unable to debate after all, will be replaced by LD 30 House Rep. Ted Vogt, per David at Project Vote Smart.

Senator Frank Antenori

Rep. Steve Farley

Bruce Ash, moderator

Rep. Ted Vogt

on the Gubernatorial campaign trail…April 23

Republican gubernatorial candidates will attend a forum on April 23 sponsored by the Sabino High School Young Republican Club, Tucson Republican Women, and Eastside Republican Club. So far, Arizona State Treasurer Dean Martin, weapons facility owner Owen “Buz” Mills, local Tucson attorney John Munger, and Dr. Matt Jette have confirmed their attendance. Incumbent Governor Jan Brewer was invited but apparently has declined to participate.

Information on the five Republican candidates for Governor invited to this forum:

–incumbent Gov. Jan Brewer: a career politician, served on Maricopa Board of Supervisors (Chair), in both Arizona State House of Representatives and State Senate (Majority Whip), then Secretary of State, assumed Governorship in Jan. 2009

–Dr. Mathew Jette: Ph.D. in political science from ASU, former Executive Speciality Rep. for Merck, Inc. in Phoenix and Tucson, www.govjette.com

–Dean Martin: Arizona State Treasurer elected in 2006, former LD 24 & LD 6 State Senator for 6 years, (no relation to the famous deceased actor with the same name), www.votedeanmartin.com

–Owen Buz Mills: Yavapai County entrepreneur & businessman (firearms and self-defense training facility), www.buz4gov.com

–John Munger, J.D.: Tucson attorney, former State Republican Party and Pima County Republican Party Chair, www.johnmunger.com

Republican elephant logo

This forum will be moderated by radio host Jon Justice (“The Truth” 104.1FM), with panelists including District 4 Pima County Supervisor Ray Carroll, Republican National Committeeman Bruce Ash, and radio personality Emil Franzi (“Inside Track”, KVOI 1030AM).

The two-hour event kicks off at 6:30 p.m. in the auditorium at Sabino High School, 5000 N. Bowes Road. Doors open at 6 p.m.

For more information contact Lori Oien at 749-3472, oienjmo@msn.com, or Parralee Schneider, 749-0312, pmstucson@aol.com. (Oien is an applicant for the vacant Ward 2 Council seat, and Schneider is a candidate for one of two LD 30 State House seats).

Come out to meet and greet these Republican candidates vying to unseat Governor Brewer in the August 24 primary. The winner will likely face Democrat Attorney General Terry Goddard, candidate for Governor. He unsuccessfully sought this position before in 1990 and 1994.

LD 30 precinct committeemen/women select Vogt, Schneider, and Sposito

Tonight 82 certified precinct committeemen/women of LD 30 selected Ted Vogt, Parralee Schneider, and Doug Sposito as nominees for the vacant House Rep. seat in that legislative district. Rep. Frank Antenori resigned last week Wednesday to assume the LD 30 State Senate seat, having been appointed by the Pima County Board of Supervisors at their March 2nd meeting.

State law (A.R.S. 14-1202) requires 3 names (with more than a majority of the votes cast) be submitted to the Board of Supervisors for their final selection.

Nominations from the floor were: Ted Vogt, Doug Sposito, Parralee Schneider, and Randy Graf, who all gave 5 minutes speeches about why they should be selected for appointment. Each person to be selected had to get 42 votes.

Vogt is the current LD 30 Chair and a 3rd year law student at the U of A, Sposito was the former LD 30 Chair and is a small business general contractor, Schneider is a realtor and former Republican Party officer for the County Party and LD 9 (now LD 30). She was also recently elected to be 3rd Vice Chair of the State GOP. Graf is a former 2 term House Rep. in LD 30 and was the Republican challenger for CD 8 in 2006, and is now a part-time consultant for the proposed Rosemont Copper Mine.

Both Vogt and Graf had been selected for nomination by the LD 30 precinct committeemen/women for the previously vacated State Senate seat in last week’s voting.

1st round winners: Vogt with 50 votes and Schneider with 46

2nd round winner: Sposito with 48 votes

All three of these nominees have filed to run as candidates for one of the 2 LD 30 house seats in the August 24 primary. Current LD 30 House Rep. David Gowan is also seeking re-election.

Attending tonight’s meeting: LD 30 State Senator Frank Antenori, GOP National Committeeman Bruce Ash, State GOP Chair Randy Pullen, 2007 Ward 2 City Council candidate Lori Oien, and 2007 Ward 4 City Council candidate Dan Spahr.

The Board of Supervisors will be meeting on Tuesday, March 16 to vote on these 3 nominees and appoint one to this LD 30 state house seat. The meeting is at usual at 9 a.m. at 130 W. Congress, first floor board meeting room.

If you wish to express comments to the Pima County Board re: any of these nominees, contact information is below:

District 1, Ann Day, 740-2738, ann.day@pima.gov
District 2, Ramon Valadez (Chair), 740-8126, jennifer.eckstrom@pima.gov
District 3, Sharon Bronson, 740-8051, district3@pima.gov
District 4, Ray Carroll, 740-8094, district4@pima.gov
District 4, Richard Elias, 740-8126, district5@pima.gov

UPDATE 3/16/10: Vogt appointed by Board of Supervisors, click here.

LD 30 precinct committeemen/women select Antenori, Vogt, and Graf

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.

on the House CD 8 campaign trail…Feb. 11

All four CD 8 Republican candidates for U.S. House have agreed to debate each other at an upcoming “Debate in the Desert”. This debate is hosted by Northwest Republicans, www.nwrepublicans.com, a group in NW Tucson, Marana, Oro Valley, and Catalina, and co-sponsored by the Tucson Tea Party, Smart Girl Politics, Oro Valley Republican Women, and LD-26.

Date: Thursday, February 11, 2010, 6-9 pm
Place: Ironwood Ridge High School, 2475 W. Naranja Drive, Oro Valley
Time: Doors open at 6:00 p.m., seating at 6:30 p.m.

Candidates Participating:
Andy Goss, www.gossforcongress.com
Jesse Kelly, www.votejessekelly.com
Brian Miller, www.brianmillerforcongress.com
State Senator Jonathan Paton, wwwpatonforcongress.com

Moderator: David Hoefferle, 3rd Vice Chairman Pima County Republican Party
Panelists:
Roxanne Ziegler – Marana Town Councilmember
Bruce Ash – National Republican Committeeman
Joe Higgins – Host, Wake Up Tucson, 1030 AM

View event flyer (with photos of the 4 candidates) from the website here. They are requesting that attendees please bring a can of food for the Tucson area food banks. Ironwood Rridge High School on Naranja Drive is west of La Cholla Blvd.

This would be a great chance to meet all 4 Republican CD 8 U.S. House candidates facing off in the Arizona primary on August 24. The winner will be challenging incumbent Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords in the General Election.