Corporation Commissioner Kris Mayes and former Yavapai County Republican Chairman Steve Pierce said Oct. 29 they’re off the list of potential Republican candidates for the 1st Congressional District.
Mayes told Arizona Capitol Times she did “a gut check” and decided her place right now is on the commission.
Pierce, meanwhile, told The Daily Courier he plans on going for Sen. Tom O’Halleran’s seat regardless of what the incumbent decides to do.
“I think I can do a lot more in this state than going to Congress and being in the minority,” Pierce said, adding that O’Halleran is not conservative enough.
O’Halleran says he will announce his decision the week of Nov. 5 whether he will run for the congressional seat.
The only announced Republican candidate is Sydney Hay.
Rep. Bill Konopnicki, R-5, has formed an exploratory committee for the race.
O’Halleran indicated to our reporter his mind was pretty much made up on whether he will run for Congress, although he didn’t say what he was likely to do.
“With everybody else out now, I just have to reconfirm with some people and in my own mind what I want to do,” he said
Mayes, a native of Prescott, said, “It was a hard decision. I love Prescott. I think it is the best congressional district in America, and it’s an open seat. I think the right Republican can hold on to it…[someone] who can appeal to Democrats. The field isn’t set for the Republican Party yet. It’s definitely winnable.”
Three Democrats have announced for Rep. Rick Renzi’s seat: former state Rep. Ann Kirkpatrick, attorney Howard Shanker and Mary Kim Titla, a former television reporter.
Reports for months now have said law enforcement is investigating a congressional land deal U.S. Rep. Rick Renzi was considering because it financially benefited James Sandlin, who had been Renzi’s partner in a real estate investment company and also was a Renzi campaign donor.
Other news organizations have quoted anonymous sources saying that federal authorities are investigating whether Renzi sponsored legislation to help his father.
Pierce told the Courier he specifically objected to O’Halleran’s stances on water and private property rights.
O’Halleran says he would be happy to debate Pierce on those issues should he face him in a Senate race, but did express frustration with water issues.
He said the Department of Water Resources has shown a lack of urgency to address water issues in the state. A member of the Statewide Water Advisory Group, or SWAG, O’Halleran says the group has done virtually nothing this year, save for two meetings in which solutions for minor water issues were discussed.
“Nothing’s going to come out of SWAG. Hell, we’ve only met twice all year,” O’Halleran said. “I don’t understand it at all.”
He says the most pressing water issue facing the state is ensuring there will be future water supplies. SWAG hasn’t addressed the issue, he said, and the Department of Water Resources can’t provide adequate estimates for much of the state.
“I think it’s sad that in the state of Arizona we don’t know that right away,” O’Halleran said.
Konopnicki said he understands why Pierce opted not to run.
“I know this is a difficult decision because I’m sitting here working on the same thing … It’s a tough decision, especially at his and my age,” he said. “How busy do you want to be for the rest of your life? It’s more than just the money – it’s a commitment of time.”
Konopnicki said he was glad Mayes is staying in her current post because it is the best option for the state. He praised her work on the commission and her role as a key player in utility and consumer advocacy issues.
“Her leaving would completely change the dynamics of the Corporation Commission,” he said, explaining that Gary Pierce would be the only experienced commissioner in 2009 if Mayes resigned to run for Congress.
Thus far on the exploratory campaign trail, Konopnicki said he has received a lot of “extremely positive” feedback from across the district. While reactions have been good, he told Arizona Capitol Times exploratory money has been slower to materialize.
“Things are tightening up out there more than we have seen in the past,” he said, attributing the lack of contributions to a leaner economy and some trepidation among voters that a Republican might not be able to win the seat.
But is he any closer to making a decision on running?
“The more feedback I get, the more positive it gets for me,” Konopnicki said. “But I probably won’t make a decision until January.”