Templar: Arizona's conservatives gain strength from elections

Sens. Carolyn Allen of Scottsdale and Jay Tibshraeny of Chandler could be a lot lonelier next year in the state Legislature, thanks to the outcome of Tuesday's Republican primaries.

Read Le Templar's blog, 'What I Know'

The two longtime East Valley politicians represent a shrinking circle of lawmakers who, depending on whom you ask, either serve as statesmen who occasionally work with Democrats or act with disloyalty in ways that undercut the GOP. They are also from a rare class of incumbent Republicans who faced no intraparty opposition Tuesday.

Conservatives have been driving to "purify" the Republican Party for several years in response to Gov. Janet Napolitano's influence over much of the state's political agenda as a Democrat. But for the first time in this decade, centrist forces tried to fight back. A number of Republican legislative races featured aggressive challengers and spending by outside groups against the candidate perceived by some as too conservative, which translates as too harsh on state immigration enforcement, or too stingy with state tax dollars, or too strident on social issues such as gay marriage.

In every single race, Republican voters who turned out Tuesday rejected calls for a change in direction. So Rep. Russell Pearce, R-Mesa, easily won his party's nomination for a Senate seat, while incumbent Sen. Tom O'Halleran, R-Sedona, was defeated by Yavapai County rancher Steve Pierce and veteran Rep. Pete Hershberger, R-Tucson, lost in his attempt to move to the other chamber. More conservative Republicans came out on the top as well in House races around the state.

Democrats are hoping this outcome will expand their opportunities in November, as independent voters who make up nearly 30 percent of the electorate might be turned off. But name recognition and experience are still essential factors in legislative races, and it appears Democrats just aren't running enough candidates with either characteristic to wrest away control of the House or Senate.

So both Allen and Tibshraeny are already fielding questions about what their roles might be next year. Tibshraeny is widely viewed as a mainstream conservative. But he's taken heat for his decision to help Democrats pass a state budget to avoid a potential shutdown of state government.

Tibshraeny admitted he's worried that tension and bad blood from this year's primaries will linger.

"There's a lot of intolerance in the party right now," said Tishraeny by phone while attending the Republican National Convention in Minnesota. "Until we get past that, we're not going to be as effective as we should be."

On the other hand, Allen has long been a target for conservatives who view her as a RINO (Republican-in-name-only). Her lack of opposition this year seems to be out of recognition that Allen has only two years left under term limits and her critics are growing in strength elsewhere.

"Some people think I will the only one left standing and that I will not be able to handle it any longer," Allen said.

"But they don't know me very well."