Verschoor, Farnsworth spar over Eloy bill, missed votes and taxpayer-funded elections 

Like two equally skilled prizefighters, Thayer Verschoor and Eddie Farnsworth saved their best punches until the end.

The exchanges were short, but impactful. Who came out bloodier will be decided by voters in the September primaries.

The incumbent senator, Verschoor and Farnsworth, the challenger, were joined by three other legislative candidates in District 22 in a Clean Elections debate at the Arizona State University campus in Mesa on July 17.

For about an hour, Verschoor and Farnsworth refrained from directly addressing each other as they answered questions from the roughly two dozen people in the audience. Instead, they espoused their own views without contrast, explaining where they stood on state spending, taxes, illegal immigration, transportation funding and renewable energy.

During that portion, no stark philosophical differences were apparent between the two Republican Senate candidates, or any of the House candidates, for that matter.

House candidates Adam Armer, Bob Brown and incumbent Rep. Andy Biggs also participated in the Republican debate.

Everyone was for a fiscally conservative budget, lower taxes and school choice.

District 22 is, after all, conservative territory. 

But when it was his time to give a closing remark, Farnsworth went after Verschoor, primarily criticizing his sponsorship of a rock ‘n roll-themed regional attraction in Eloy and pointing out what he said were some obvious differences between the two.  

Farnsworth, who has reached a term limit in the House, said as a former House majority leader, he understands the pressure to compromise.

"But there is a difference, and the difference between my opponent and myself is very evident in the numbers," he said. "I can tell you, when you look at it, I won't sponsor a bill that will appropriate or allow three-quarters of a billion dollars in taxpayer bonds to be issued to build a theme park in Eloy like my opponent did.

"I opposed that, I still oppose it. It's horrible policy."

He added: "I won't vote to burden private enterprise. I won't vote to put mandates on insurance like my opponent has. I've opposed those and I will continue to oppose those and I will continue to work to reduce these burdens, instead of just saying it and then doing otherwise."

Farnsworth went on to cite the better ratings he received from the Arizona Federation of Taxpayers and the Goldwater Institute, and then added, "That's what you get with me. I am solid. I am stable. I move forward. I don't tie and hitch my wagon to the lobbyists. If they want to come in and talk to me, they better be prepared because I know what the Constitution says and I know what needs to be done."

Verschoor answered by citing the work he had done on behalf of the district – cutting taxes, expanding school choice, accelerating transportation growth – and then said:  "Yes, I have worked hard for economic development here in our district as well as our state. The bill that he mentioned doesn't cost the taxpayers anything. Not a dime. And yet he is participating as a Clean Elections candidate. He is going to take and cost the taxpayers here about $60,000."

Verschoor also criticized Farnsworth for missing "over 100 votes in this last session."

"I tell you what: I haven't done that. I've worked hard. I've spent the time. I've been with the members. I've been there working with them, getting things done," Verschoor said.

He added that former lawmakers from the district have endorsed his reelection campaign because "they have seen the work that I have done, and they appreciate the work that I've been able to do working together with other folks down there." Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio also endorsed him, he said.

Verschoor emphasized that he is likely to re-assume his seat as Senate president if he gets his re-elected, which would bode well for his district.

"I am asking for your vote because I have proven that I have the leadership skills to be able to accomplish the things which need to be accomplished here in Arizona and in our district," he said.

Observers have speculated that the contest between the two will boil down to who is more conservative and who has better upheld conservative ideals.

The exchange between Farnsworth and Verschoor, who were seated beside each other, was calm and civil through the debate.  But they had more to say afterward.

In a post-debate interview, Verschoor said their ratings from the conservative groups mentioned by Farnsworth were "virtually identical" during the six years that the two of them served together in the Legislature.

"And if you look at the time when he was the majority leader and I wasn't in leadership, he scored lower than I did on those two." he said.

Farnsworth said the issues Verschoor had raised against him – running his campaign with taxpayer money and missing votes – are a red herring.

Farnsworth said he doesn't actually like the Clean Elections system, despite the fact that he is using the system to raise money for his campaign.

"I don't like it," he said. "But the fact is the people voted for it. The courts said it's constitutional. And so now, the question is, do we use the tools that the people have said they want us to use? Or do we not?"

Farnsworth then compared his decision to run Clean Elections with Verschoor's decision to support the theme park in Eloy.

"I mean it's completely different to say that I am following a program that the people said they want and the courts have held to be constitutional, versus saying that we are going to create a new municipality (and) give them the authority to offer three-quarters of a billion dollars in bonds," he said.

And he said the bonds could, indeed, cost the state in the long run if not handled properly.

"If those bonds default and we don't pay them off, even though the law says (we) don't have to, our bond rating goes down, and it impacts the taxpayers here," he said. "We have to pay a higher interest. We have to pay more debt."

Farnsworth said he is unsure whether he really missed 100 votes this session, as Verschoor had said. In any case, it's only 100 votes out of thousands, he said.

"The thing is he is trying to deflect the idea that he now has come off of many of the promises that he made to District 22," Farnsworth said. "Two years ago, he would have called that bill that he sponsored a fascist bill."

The difference now, Farnsworth speculated, is that Kevin DeMenna, an influential lobbyist, is behind the Eloy theme park. DeMenna also is working with Verschoor's campaign.  

"That is pretty suspect to me," he said.