Rookies to battle for key seats in Legislature

A group of political rookies will duke it out for a seat in a key legislative district in Mesa as the East Valley stands to lose its political clout at the state Capitol next year. More than 160 candidates filed nomination petitions needed to qualify for the fall primaries before Wednesday’s 5 p.m. deadline, according to the Arizona Secretary of State’s Office.

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Of those candidates, there were no incumbents in District 18, covering a large section of Mesa. Because of term limits, Republicans Rep. Russell Pearce and Rep. Mark Anderson have been forced from office, taking with them their experience and influential committee assignments.

Anderson, running for Congress against Rep. Harry Mitchell, D-Ariz., had led the important House Education committee, while Pearce held what is considered one of the most important chairmanships in the Legislature — the House Appropriations Committee.

Pearce was able to use his powerful position to promote his immigration agenda and become one of the country’s most outspoken critics of illegal immigration.

Pearce filed Wednesday for the District 18 State Senate seat where he’ll oppose Kevin Gibbons, also of Mesa, in the Republican primary.

“Well, this is what happens when you have term limits,” Anderson said Wednesday afternoon. “Now, there’ll be a time when we (Mesa and the East Valley) don’t have the clout we used to have.”

As heads of the two committees, the lawmakers had a huge say over legislation relating to education as well as how state money was spent. In their absence, Republicans are running newcomers Ron Middlebrook and former small business owner Steve Court, while Democrats are entering Tammie Pursley. Because they all would be newcomers, none could chair a committee. Pursley ran unsuccessfully for the same seat two years ago.

The new face on the Mesa district could also impact illegal immigration legislation. While Middlebrook said he is in “lock-step” with Pearce, Court said he doesn’t agree with his tactics.

“As a businesses owner, I thought businesses were being asked to be the largest enforcer of federal immigration law,” he said, regarding Pearce’s employer sanctions bill that passed last year.

The East Valley will also lose other key lawmakers to term limits, threatening to weaken the region’s hold on power. In Chandler, Republican Rep. Bob Robson is leaving to run for the Arizona Corporation Commission. He is head of the Rules Committee, which must sign off on any piece of legislation moving through the House.

Another key loss is Rep. Eddie Farnsworth, R-Gilbert, running for a State Senate seat against his former political ally, Sen. Thayer Verschoor, R-Gilbert. Farnsworth had served as chairman of the House Judiciary Committee

In other races, it appears that Sen. Carolyn Allen, R-Scottsdale, will run unopposed for a fourth and final term. This comes after the longtime state lawmaker had survived brutal past primary races against fellow Republicans who accused her of party disloyalty. Allen said that seems to indicate the political atmosphere in Arizona is starting to change.

“The hard-core Republican brand is not doing as well this year. The really far right, it appears to me, has really thinned out,” she said Wednesday.

State House Races
District No. 8

Democratic
RIMMER, STEPHANIE
Scottsdale

Republican
KAVANAGH, JOHN
Fountain Hills
REAGAN, MICHELE
Scottsdale

District No. 17
Democratic
ABLESER, ED
Tempe

SCHAPIRA, DAVID
Tempe

Republican
THOMPSON, MARK
Tempe

WADDLE, WES
Scottsdale

District No. 18
Democratic
PURSLEY, TAMMIE
Mesa

Republican
ASH, CECIL
Mesa

COURT, STEVE
Mesa

MIDDLEBROOK, RON
Mesa

District No. 19
Democratic
ROMANO, KATHY
Mesa

Republican
ADAMS, KIRK
Mesa

CRANDALL, RICH
Mesa
 

District No. 20
Democratic
TORGESON, JIM
Chandler

WATERS, RAE
Phoenix

Republican
DIAL, JEFF
Chandler

McCOMISH, JOHN
Phoenix

SCHMUCK, FRANK
Tempe

SWANN, ANDY
Tempe

District No. 21
Democratic
HETTMANSPERGER, PHIL
Chandler

Republican
NICHOLS, WARDE V.
Gilbert

YARBROUGH, STEVE
Chandler

District No. 22
Democratic
RAY, GLENN
Mesa

Republican
ARMER, ADAM
Mesa

BIGGS, ANDY
Gilbert

BROWN, BOB
Gilbert

HENDRIX, LAURIN
Gilbert

District No. 23
Democratic
BUSTAMANTE, ERNEST
Mammoth

MCGUIRE, BARBARA
Kearny

PACION, KRISTA
Casa Grande

Republican
FILLMORE, JOHN
Apache Junction

PRATT, FRANK
Casa Grande

State Senate Races
District No. 8
Republican
ALLEN, CAROLYN S.
Scottsdale

District No. 17
Democratic
BURTON CAHILL, MEG
Tempe

District No. 18
Democratic
NATIVIO, JUDAH
Mesa

Republican
GIBBONS, KEVIN
Mesa

PEARCE, RUSSELL
Mesa

District No. 19
Republican
GRAY, CHUCK
Mesa

District No. 20
Democratic
MAISH, TED
Chandler

Republican
HUPPENTHAL, JOHN
Chandler

District No. 21
Republican
TIBSHRAENY, JAY
Chandler

District No. 22
Republican
BEDGOOD, JOE
Gilbert

FARNSWORTH, EDDIE
Gilbert

VERSCHOOR, THAYER
Gilbert

District No. 23
Democratic
RIOS, REBECCA
Apache Junction

Republican
CAMPOS, ANDRÉ
Arizona City