Judge removes Jones from ballot 

Less than a week after being cleared to be on the ballot, a Maricopa County Superior Court judge has ruled a state representative running for the Senate committed petition fraud and will not be on the ballot.
Rep. Russ Jones, R-24, was removed from the ballot July 12 by Judge Kenneth Fields. Mr. Jones, who was leaving his House seat to run for the Senate post vacated by retiring Democrat Bob Cannell, told Arizona Capitol Times he had not yet spoken to his lawyer and would not comment on the decision until he did so. He said he was on vacation in California.
Last week, Mr. Jones survived a petition challenge by Yuma County Democrat activist Paul Moreno. However, the state Democrat Party filed the second suit after the first challenge was dismissed, alleging Mr. Jones lied when he testified he was present when all of the petitions were signed.
In addition to being removed from the ballot, petition fraud also carries a penalty of being barred from running for elected office for five years.
Winning the District 24 Senate seat was one of the Republican Party’s top priorities in the fall elections. The decision leaves Democrat Amanda Aguirre running unopposed in November.