Russell Pearce has been a favorite of voters in Legislative District 18 for the past 16 years, easily winning elections to the Arizona House and Senate from the largely Republican base of constituents in Mesa.
Given that track record, he’ll tell you he’s not worried about the upcoming recall election in November brought about by Citizens for a Better Arizona.
He should be.
Recall elections in Arizona — which are rare — are a completely different animal than normal elections.
A normal partisan election includes a primary, where candidates must first win their party’s nomination. In the Republican stronghold that is LD 18, that is where the real battle is won. Republicans who lean farther right (and Pearce is on the extreme right) tend to emerge from the primary. And from there, the Republican nominee is a shoo-in to defeat his Democratic opponent in the general election in this district.
But in a recall election, there is no primary — just a nonpartisan, winner-take-all election. Any number of candidates, from any number of parties, can run for office.
That’s good and bad news for Pearce.
The good news for Pearce is that there could be a large number of candidates who oppose him. The more candidates there are, the more the “anti-Pearce vote” will be split among them. In a recall, only the top vote-getter wins, regardless of whether he or she gets a majority of the votes. Pearce could get 30 percent of the votes and still win if the other 70 percent are split among six or seven candidates.
Given that, be prepared for allegations of “candidate-stuffing” should we see a large number of people vying for Pearce’s Senate seat (remember the accusations from Democrats when a number of Green Party candidates suddenly emerged last November, theoretically recruited by Republicans to take votes away from Democrat candidates?).
The bad news for Pearce is that, because it is a nonpartisan election, there will likely be at least one fellow Republican running against him. If that GOP opponent takes just one-fourth of the conservative vote (likely from more moderate Republicans), that spells trouble for Pearce.
In November, Pearce won the general election with 17,552 votes, easily beating Democrat Andrew Sherwood (10,663) and Libertarian Andrea Garcia (2,808). But in a recall election, those 13,471 votes that went to Sherwood/Garcia, plus just 25 percent of the Republican vote (4,388), could easily turn the tide in favor of a new would-be challenger.
That challenger will not be Sherwood. Honestly, any Democrat would be foolish to throw his hat in the ring and siphon votes away from a more moderate Republican candidate who has a better chance of defeating Pearce.
“Russell would like to turn this into a partisan election, and I am not taking the bait,” Sherwood told the Tribune this week. “This isn’t a conventional election where two political parties select candidates. This is Mesa residents stepping forward saying ‘I will serve.’ That’s how I see this. We need a bipartisan coalition to defeat Russell Pearce.”
Sherwood said the ideal candidate would be someone who is plugged into the business world, well known in the community, big on education, and can do some fundraising in a very short amount of time.
“This election is going to happen lightning-fast,” Sherwood said. “In that time frame, you’ve got to do triple the amount of signature-gathering while simultaneously campaigning and fundraising. … This person has to be energetic. They need to be everywhere all the time.”
Thus far, only one little-known candidate has thrown his hat into the ring against Pearce. Tommy Joseph Cattey, a 62-year-old audiologist and registered independent, announced his candidacy last week. Charter schools executive Jerry Lewis has expressed interest and could make an announcement early this week.
All they need is 621 valid signatures from district voters — and the fortitude to run against Pearce, whom many consider the most powerful member of the Republican Party in Arizona.
Armed with that, and the fact that this is a nonpartisan recall election, and anything could happen.
lfarknagel posted at 11:24 am on Wed, Aug 3, 2011.
Elevation, great comment and I agree with you.
LEON MENTIROSO,
TYPING IN ALL CAPS DOES NOTHING TO FURTHER YOUR DEMENTED DRIVEL. YOUR FIXATION ON THE MORMON CHURCH DETRACTS SO MUCH FROM YOU ARGUMENT SO AS TO RENDER IT UNPERSUASIVE.
THE FACT IS THAT DISTRICT 18 IS PREDOMINANTLY MORMON (MAYBE PREDOMINANTLY CATHOLIC AS THERE ARE MORE CATHOLICS IN MESA THAN MORMONS). WHICHEVER MAJORITY HAS THE NUMBERS WILL LIKELY CONTROL THE VOTING, SO STOP YOUR WHINING. MOREOVER, SHOW SOME INTELLIGENCE AND MAKE A COHESIVE ARGUMENT BASED ON SOMETHING OTHER THAN YOUR HATRED FOR MORMONS. IT REALLY IS TIRESOME.
CooperG posted at 11:59 am on Tue, Jul 26, 2011.
Samkat, actually, no, it isn't possible. I'm an independent.
The recall is NOT about immigration, as much as Russell wants it to be. It's about everything else he has failed miserably at, which is literally everything that's important. He can't even get immigration right, choosing to adopt a strategy that has literally and completely failed everywhere else it has been tried.
You'd think if you want to bet the ranch on a policy, you'd at least want one that works. That is unless the failed strategy is the only one that gets you elected. In that case, you call people names, attempt to insult them, and distract the less thoughtful with catch phrases and meaningless data and cliches.
Just like Russell does.
samkat posted at 4:06 pm on Mon, Jul 25, 2011.
Cooper: Is it possible that you are a dyed in the wool left wing liberal? Based on your posts, it could be construed that you are. I am a 50 year plus registered democrat and I will support Russell just to throw a wrench in the pro amnesty machine.
Accuracy posted at 9:33 am on Mon, Jul 25, 2011.
Senate President Russell Pearce was targeted by the pro-amnesty - open borders Democrats because of his stance on illegal immigration. They managed to come up with 10,365 signatures on the “Recall Russell Pearce Petitions” in Pearce's conservative Mesa district.
But now the Democrats cannot find at least one candidate in District 18 who has the qualifications necessary to actually give Pearce a good fight. Unable to find a Democrat in the district to run in November's recall election that does not supports Pearce or his ideas, particularly those on immigration.
∙ SB 1070 & HB 2162 – that made changes to laws relating to the enforcement of federal and state immigration laws.
∙ SB 1027 – that required the Department of Public Safety to seek grants to implement a one-year pilot program targeting drug trafficking, illegal alien trafficking, and human smuggling.
∙ HB 2102 – that requires an individual to present a government issued document that contains the individual's photograph in order to obtain a license to operate a business, perform a professional service that requires a license, or to obtain fingerprint clearance.
∙ SB 1465 – that prohibited the acceptance of consular identification cards as a valid form of identification.
∙ HB 2405/SB1368 – that lengthened the sentencing for these felony offenses, without probation, pardon or release until the full term is served.
Leon Ceniceros posted at 7:11 am on Mon, Jul 25, 2011.
AS YOU CAN SEE FROM THE..."COMMENTS"...ABOVE AND FROM READING THE EDITOR'S OPINION.
THIS IS NOT ABOUT EXERCISING ...DEMOCRACY...THROUGH THE RECALL AND VOTING PROVISIONS OF THE ARIZONA CONSTITUTION.
AN ELECTION ...WHETHER A NORMAL OR A RECALL ELECTION......SHOULD BE ABOUT GIVING THE........"VOTER"...A CHOICE OF CANDIDATES.
DEMOCRAT CANDIDATES ARE BEING TOLD NOT TO COME INTO THIS RECALL ELECTION..
LIBERAL PART CANDIDATES ARE BEING TOLD NOT TO COME INTO THIS RECALL ELECTION.
HISPANIC RIGHTS CANDIDATES ARE BEING TOLD NOT TO COME INTO THIS RECALL ELECTION.
INDEPENDENT PARTY CANDIDATES ARE BEING TOLD NOT TO COME INTO THIS RECALL ELECTION.
THE MORMON CHURCH DOES NOT WANT ANY OTHER CANDIDATES IN THIS ELECTION.....EXCEPT ONE.....MORMON BISHOP...MR. JERRY LEWIS.
CooperG posted at 6:38 am on Mon, Jul 25, 2011.
NBTT, Pearce has not been in office 16 years and he's lying when he says he has been "elected" 16 times (which is what I think you mean).
Pearce has been elected 8 times and he has been chosen as his party's nominee 8 times. Being nominated is NOT the same as being "elected," as anyone who knows the Constitution SHOULD know. The fact he's spinning that little tidbit again shows he likes to exaggerate to make himself look better.
The hope of "a lot of candidates" is, as of now, wishful and hopeful thinking. Even thought the "independent" candidate has indicated he's willing to run, don't count on his getting the signatures. Add to this Jerry Lewis, whom a LOT of people like, and Pearce is in deep, deep trouble because this isn't a normal election and he knows it. His is just a facade of confidence. That's why he's bringing in outsiders and outside money to fund his campaign because he can't raise it in his district.
They know him too well.
The purpose of letting the people of LD18 know that no Democrat was going to get into the race is a smart move for no other reason than it keeps out the fake Democrats who Russell may want to try and run (like they did in Wisconsin) because the word is now on the street the party won't support anyone in this recall election. Andrew Sherwood is brilliant for making the statement he did.
k33j88 posted at 4:11 am on Mon, Jul 25, 2011.
Please excuse my spelling errors.
k33j88 posted at 4:09 am on Mon, Jul 25, 2011.
Liberalism is a mental disorder----example: The other day, while shopping at the local market, a woman came into the front door screaming about something. Since she had no workable knowledge of the "English Language", nobody could understand her rant. This went on for 2-3 minutes. In the meantime, a pick-up was being engulfed in flames right in the parking lot. Now I can recognize spanish, polish, german, french, italian-----but not this dialect. In the meantime, flames were reaching the sky. Luckily, some decent citizen had a fire extingusher. Now if we all had a thread of commonality, such as the "ENGLISH LANGUAGE", the situation would've got out of hand. SB1070, a Pearce initiative, tried to address that very issue. Also being a Tea Party supporter, he has my continued support.[whistling]
Leon Ceniceros posted at 11:43 pm on Sun, Jul 24, 2011.
Let me get this straight.....the Editor of the East Valley Tribune is....TELLING DEMOCRATS NOT....THAT'S RIGHT FOLKS, ......NOT TO ENTER A DEMOCRAT CANDIDATE IN THE ....RECALL ELECTION OF REPUBLICAN SENATOR RUSSELL PEARCE.
The Independent Party has entered one of their candidates, Tommy Joseph Cattey (whom the Editor of the East Valley Tribune ....disparaginely refers to as...."LITTLE KNOWN").
On the other hand, the Editor of the East Valley Tribune, make no such...'VALUE JUDGEMENTS"...against glowingly described...."CHARTER SCHOOL EXECUTIVE"...Jerry Lewis.......THE MORMON BISHOP WHO HAS RECEIVED THE ..."RECOMMEND"...OF THE MESA MORMON CHURCH AND THE....PEARCE RECALL COMMITTEE (MADE UP OF ...MORMON CHURCH LEADERS, PRO-ILLEGAL ALIEN AMNESTY HISPANIC GROUPS AND THE ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH). THE EDITOR MENTIONS THAT AN "IDEAL CANDIDATE" WOULD BE SOMEONE WHO IS...."BIG ON EDUCATION"....(NOW WHO COULD THE EDITOR OF THE EAST VALLEY TRIBUNE BE THINKING OF....COULD IT BE A CERTAIN ...MORMON BISHOP "CHARTER SCHOOLS EXECUTIVE"....WOW....SMALL WORLD....JERRY LEWIS ...JUST HAPPENS TO FIT THE BILL).
NOTICE HOW THE EDITOR OF THE EAST VALLEY TRIBUNE DESCRIBES REPUBLICAN SENATOR RUSSELL PEARCE AS......."EXTREME RIGHT".
FOLKS, THIS RECALL ELECTION HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH ....$39,000 IN FREEBIE FIESTA BOWL TICKETS.........IT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THE TEA PARTY....WITH THE DEFICIT...OR WITH ARIZONA' S BUDGET CUTTING TO REACH AN ARIZONA CONSTITUTIONALLY MANDATED BALANCED BUDGET.
THIS RECALL HAS BEEN ORCHESTRATED BY THE LOCAL LIBERAL NEWSPAPERS....THE DAILY-SUN, THE ARIZONA REPUBLIC, THE NEW-D TIMES AND SADLY THIS NEWSPAPER, THE EAST VALLEY TRIBUNE....ALONG WITH THE MORMON CHURCH, THE CATHOLIC CHURCH AND HISPANIC GROUPS.........ABOUT ONE THING AND ONE THING ONLY...........
ILLEGAL ALIEN AMNESTY FOR 20 MILLION MEXICAN (63%) AND OTHER CENTRAL AMERICAN .........ILLEGAL ALIENS.......WHO ARE DESTROYING OUR CULTURE...OUR WELFARE SYSTEM....OUR SCHOOL SYSTEM...OUR HEALTH CARE AND HOSPITAL EMERGENCY ROOM SYSTEM...OUR SOCIAL SECURITY SYSTEM ....OUR MEDICARE SYSTEM...AND OUR MEDICAID SYSTEM.
STOP THESE LIBERALS AND OTHER GROUPS FROM DESTROYING AMERICA....VOTE FOR RUSSELL PEARCE...THE FATHER OF ..SB1070.
Accuracy posted at 5:22 pm on Sun, Jul 24, 2011.
“The good news for Pearce is that there could be a large number of candidates who oppose him. The more candidates there are, the more the “anti-Pearce vote” will be split among them.”
---------------------------------------------
Absolutely!!
And thus far, there is Tommy Cattey, a registered independent, who is “running to split the vote” in November's recall election.
Poorman posted at 9:26 am on Sun, Jul 24, 2011.
I'm an independent voter,and as long as Russ.keeps up the good work we will continue to keep him in office. As for higher property taxes and the like, most of the past polls on here showed a lot of folks were for that.depending what the money was to be used for.
NothingButTheTruth posted at 9:24 am on Sun, Jul 24, 2011.
Russell Pearce has been a favorite of voters in Legislative District 18 for the past 16 years yet somehow voters just figured out who he is. lol what a joke. SB1070 is what happened and that is all you whiners really have to cry about. Pearce will win this and you can all just keep crying about it.
elevation posted at 8:45 am on Sun, Jul 24, 2011.
The public has had a golden opportunity to see that Russell Pearce is in it for Russell Pearce and his narrow focused agenda. However, there is more than one issue lawmakers need to focus on in Arizona. We need to improve jobs, education, healthcare and infrastructure. Russell Pearce is not interested in anthying but immigration...except for maybe hefty campaign contributions. Now that Mesa voters see that Pearce is less interested in their concerns than his own, they should jump at the opportunity to vote him out.
CooperG posted at 7:56 am on Sun, Jul 24, 2011.
Good editorial from the Tribune, that properly highlights the idea that there are many Republicans who don't vote in the primaries who don't like what Pearce has done to our economy, our budget, our schools, our access to health care services, our counties, cities and towns, and police and fire budgets.
Add to this the fact he raised every Mesa property owner's taxes AND accepted $39,000+ from the Fiesta Bowl while supporting bills that benefited them shows that he is not the type of leader Mesa deserves.
Thanks to whomever wrote this editorial. You are beginning to renew my faith that local newspapers can consider the best interests of their community and not just "go along to get along."