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Presidential debate planners eyeing 3 Valley venues
Organizers of Arizona’s Dec. 1 GOP presidential debate are primarily looking at three possible venues.
The venues under consideration are the Mesa Arts Center, the Phoenix Convention Center and Gammage Auditorium, according to Republican National Committeeman Bruce Ash.
Cortes’ lawyer asks Supreme Court to dismiss lawsuit, stop hearing
Olivia Cortes’ lawyer today asked the Arizona Supreme Court to stop a hearing scheduled for Friday and to declare the case against the beleaguered recall candidate moot.
Ballots have already been printed for the Nov. 8 special election targeting Senate President Russell Pearce, and the lawsuit against Cortes is therefore moot, argued Anthony Tsontakis, who earlier successfully defended [...]
New witnesses to testify in Cortes lawsuit
A judge has scheduled a Friday hearing to allow new witnesses to testify in a lawsuit that seeks to disqualify the candidacy of a Mesa woman whose critics say is in the race to help Senate President Russell Pearce keep his seat. Election Attorney Thomas Ryan, who filed the lawsuit on behalf of a Pearce critic, plans to call more witnesses during a 3:30 p.m. evidentiary hearing.
Judge: Cortes was recruited by Pearce allies, but she stays on ballot
A judge ruled today that the Mesa woman accused of being a “diversionary” candidate in the recall election targeting Senate President Russell Pearce was clearly recruited by Pearce’s supporters but that he cannot kick her off the ballot.
IRC votes to OK congressional draft map; Republicans object
The Arizona Independent Redistricting Commission today approved a congressional draft map that includes a competitive district in the middle of the Phoenix area, voting 3-1 over objections from the two Republican members. Independent Chairwoman Colleen Mathis and Democratic Commissioners Jose Herrera and Linda McNulty voted for the map, while Republican Commissioner Richard Stertz voted against[...]
8 GOP senators who voted against immigration bills get business backing
Eight of the nine Republican senators who bucked their party and played a pivotal role in defeating a package of immigration bills last session have the backing of the business community going into next year’s election.
Cortes testifies she’s unaware of recall campaign machinery
Republican Olivia Cortes is challenging one of the most powerful politicians in Arizona, but the political neophyte testified in court today that she doesn’t have full control over her campaign and doesn’t know who paid circulators to gather many of the signatures she needed to qualify for the ballot.
CNN will air Republican presidential debate in Arizona
CNN will produce and air a Republican presidential debate on Dec. 1 in Arizona.
Gov. Jan Brewer, the driving force in bringing the debate to the state, announced the agreement between CNN and the Arizona Republican Party today.
Attorney: Cortes lawsuit will continue despite sent ballots
The attorney who is seeking to disqualify Republican Olivia Cortes from the recall election in Mesa is moving ahead with the lawsuit even though ballots have already been printed and some have been sent to a handful of voters.
The lawsuit alleges that Cortes is a part of a “cynical ploy” to divert votes from another candidate in order to help incumbent Senate President Russell Pearc[...]
Bundgaard’s complaint dismissed
Senate Majority Leader Andy Biggs on Tuesday summarily dismissed the counter-complaint that Sen. Scott Bundgaard, R-Peoria, filed against three members of the ethics committee. “I have reviewed your complaint,” Biggs wrote in a letter to Bundgaard. “... I find that the allegations do not constitute conduct that is unethical under the rules. Therefore, the complaint is dismissed.”
Redistricting chairwoman pushes ‘donut hole’ map for congressional districts
The chairwoman of the Independent Redistricting Commission wants the panel to take a fill-in-the-blanks approach to re-mapping the state's political districts, asking her fellow commissioners to tentatively adopt a map that leaves blank nearly the entire Phoenix metro area, which would include four of the state’s nine congressional districts.
A New Direction: Cracking down on illegals is losing luster in down economy
With another election season fast approaching, border security remains a priority, but many lawmakers and political insiders say support for local immigration-enforcement measures appears to be waning. The prevailing mood is that lawmakers might not have the appetite to wage emotionally draining battles over illegal immigration at a time when the state faces a more immediate menace — a saggin[...]
