Melvin consultant Constantin Querard took issue with the way Arizona Right to Life PAC decided its 2014 endorsements on Thursday, which he called an unprecedented departure from its practices.

As a primary field becomes more crowded, the portion of votes needed to win the nomination becomes smaller and smaller. With as many as seven or eight Republican gubernatorial candidates on the ballot this year, any advantage can help lead to a win.

For some, the advantage may be geography.

Lone Democrat outweighed by crowded Republican field for governor

Next year’s primary is shaping up to be the hottest contest for a Republican gubernatorial nomination in more than 20 years.

An Arizona Court of Appeals ruling that put the state’s new campaign contribution limits on hold triggered widespread confusion among candidates and election attorneys.

Campaign cash may come pouring into some of Arizona’s top races next year thanks to a new law allowing candidates to raise far more money.

Critics say the bill will flood campaigns with more money and influence-buying, and that it may be the final nail in the coffin of Arizona’s voter-approved Clean Elections system.

Gov. Jan Brewer forcefully declared that her proposal to expand the Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System to hundreds of thousands of new patients is a pro-life plan. As a pro-life governor, she said, she will not sit idly by while people suffer. Since then, opponents of her plan have taken up the pro-life mantle in the Legislature.

There has been a lot of talk during the past few weeks about independent expenditure committees and their impacts. Specifically, there has been a lot of discussion about the direction and effectiveness of the Senate Republican Victory Fund.

The fact of the matter is there are two types of independent expenditures: IEs for “impact” and IEs for “appearance.” Think of it as work horses versus show ponies.

The letter “Pierce used Victory Fund in failed effort to retain presidency” by political consultant Constantin Querard published in the Jan. 25 edition of the Arizona Capitol Times was both sadly misinformed and bemusing.

Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Robert Oberbillig ruled today that Republican Darin Mitchell, a candidate for state House in Legislative District 13, does not live in the district he sought to represent and must be removed from the ballot.

Darin Mitchell, the political newcomer who beat Rep. Russ Jones in last week’s Republican primary election for a Legislative District 13 House seat, released a statement yesterday saying he lives in the district – and out of the district.