Secretary of State Jan Brewer has announced the appointment of a new member to the Citizens Clean Elections Commission to replace Clark Dierks, who recently resigned due to health concerns.
Tucson Republican Royann Jordan Parker, who served on the Commission on Appellate Court Appointments from 2002 to 2003, was appointed by Mrs. Brewer on April 6.
“Royann will bring a great deal of fairness and consistency to the Clean Election process,” said Mrs. Brewer. “I am very impressed with her understanding of government and the election process and I feel her energy and dedication to doing a good job will serve the citizens of Arizona well.”
Mrs. Brewer had a difficult time finding qualified applicants to appoint to the CCEC, which oversees Arizona’s system of providing public funding to qualified candidates for legislative and statewide offices.
Most recently, the usual 30-day process was extended on March 31 to allow more time to find a replacement for Mr. Dierks, a Flagstaff Republican and former state treasurer.
An extension was also necessary to find and appoint Mr. Dierks. A search beginning in late November ended in mid-January. He replaced Pima County independent Kathleen Detrick, whose term expired on Jan. 31.
However, before that search was completed, Tracey Bardorf, a lawyer with the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Phoenix, was forced to resign from the commission on Jan. 13 after the U.S. Department of Justice found a conflict of interest.
An extension was announced on Jan. 31 to allow more time to find a substitute for Ms. Bardorf, who in November was voted by commission members to serve as CCEC chairman for 2006.
Her successor, Carl Kunasek, a Republican from Maricopa County and former Senate president, was appointed on Feb. 10.
Mrs. Brewer has been critical in the past of the strict requirements placed on potential CCEC commissioners, arguing that they disqualify a group of people most needed: the politically interested.
“People aren’t banging down the door to serve on the Clean Elections Commission,” she told Arizona Capitol Times in March, adding that appointing commissioners would be easier if precinct committeemen, for example, could serve.
Arizona law states that commissioners must not have sought, been appointed or elected to public office, or served as an officer for a political party within the past five years prior to being appointed. Commissioners are also forbidden from serving as political officers, elected officials or lobbyists for three years after their five-year terms expire.
No conflict
Ms. Parker’s role on the Commission on Appellate Court Appointments does not amount to “public office” as the law states. That designation refers to “partisan elective offices,” said Deputy Secretary of State Kevin Tyne.
“We’re confident that Ms. Parker is not precluded from serving,” he said.
Under state law, no more than two members of the commission may be from the same party or county.
Ms. Parker will join Chairwoman Marcia Busching, a Democrat from Maricopa County; Ermila Jolley, a Yuma County Democrat; Gary Scaramazzo, an independent from Coconino County; and Mr. Kunasek, a Maricopa County Republican.
Commissioners are appointed by the top ranking statewide officeholders, alternating between Democrat and Republican. Under Arizona law, if a commissioner vacates the office the official who nominated the commissioner must nominate the replacement.
Ms. Detrick was appointed in 2001 by Janet Napolitano, who at the time was the Arizona attorney general. Both Ms. Bardorf and Mr. Dierks were appointees of Mrs. Brewer.