In 2010, I was honored to have the voters of Arizona elect me to a second four-year term on the Arizona Corporation Commission (ACC). I currently serve as chairman of the ACC and am scheduled to complete my chairmanship at the end of this year.

Over the past few months I have been monitoring the Arizona Independent Redistricting Commission as it drew new congressional districts. During that time, it has been widely reported that I might run for Congress in one of the districts. An overwhelming number of people from throughout the state have encouraged me to run for a congressional seat. After careful consideration, I have concluded that Republicans will have outstanding candidates in each of the congressional districts for the 2012 election cycle. In light of the fact that there are several critical issues before the Corporation Commission, I believe that I can best represent the people of Arizona by continuing to serve as Chairman of the Corporation Commission.

Consequently, I will not be a candidate for Congress in 2012. I do not rule out a run for Congress or another state-wide office in the future.

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The election season in Southern Arizona has gotten off to a roaring start with the resignation of Representative Giffords. There is so much more to life than politics – I wish her the very best as she continues to recover.

We have had people asking whether I would be willing to run in one of the new Congressional Districts – CD 1, CD 2 or CD 3. So I figured it was time to clearly end speculation. Through much thought and prayer and with mixed feelings, I have decided not to run for office this year. If I believe it is the right thing to do, I will be back on the campaign trail for the 2014 election.

The main reasons that have led me to this hard decision are, redistricting uncertainties and my job. I have studied the new redistricting lines. Will they be changed by the Department of Justice in the next few months? Or by lawsuits? I am in CD 3 but only several hundred yards from CD 2 and less than two miles from CD 1. Will I be in CD 3 when the lines are finished? It is hard to make an educated decision about running without complete details and statistics. I am also not a career politician. I work as a rocket scientist, so taking time work off to run isn’t easy.

There is more to the equation as to whether someone should run than the statistics. As you know, the numbers were against me when I ran against Congressman Grijalva, but I still felt it was the right thing to do. With many people’s help, we showed that no district is safe. I would imagine this led to having my three main voting blocs taken out of Representative Grijalva’s new district (CD 3).

I am humbled by how many of you throughout 2011 have been truly interested about whether I was running or not, and for which seat. Thank you! We have a long road to put this country back on the right track, so I plan on working with all of you – whether as a candidate or as a volunteer.

Thank you so much for all your support and encouragement!

Ruth McClung

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: February 8, 2012
CONTACT: Adam Deguire

Salmon Receives Endorsements from 14 Arizona State Senators

EAST VALLEY – Former Congressman and candidate for Arizona’s 5th Congressional District Matt Salmon today announced the endorsements from 12 additional Arizona state senators, joining previous endorsements from Senate Majority Leader Andy Biggs (District 22) and Senator John McComish (District 20). Salmon released the endorsements from the following state senators:

Senate President Steve Pierce (District 1)
Senate Majority Whip Frank Antenori (District 30)
Senate President Pro Tempore Sylvia Allen (District 5)
Senator Judy Burges (District 4)
Senator Linda Gray (District 10)
Senator Gail Griffin (District 25)
Senator Lori Klein (District 6)
Senator Al Melvin (District 26)Senator Rick Murphy (District 9)
Senator John Nelson (District 12)
Senator Don Shooter (District 24)
Senator Steve Smith (District 23)

Former Congressman Matt Salmon stated, “My career as a public servant began as an Arizona state senator, so I am especially thrilled that so many of our current senators have chosen to stand with me in my campaign for Congress. These leaders have witnessed firsthand the dereliction of duty by our federal government to control runaway spending and pass down unfunded mandates to state governments. I commend them for the many sacrifices they continue to make as public servants, and I pledge to work with every state government official to provide a better and more prosperous life for all Arizonans.”

About Matt Salmon

Matt Salmon was first elected to the United States Congress in 1994 and served until 2000, honoring his term limit pledge. A proud conservative, Salmon was rated in the top five among all 535 members of the House and Senate by Citizen’s Against Government Waste for all six years he was in office. He is a lifetime member of the NRA with an A+ rating and also earned a 100% rating by the National Right to Life. He was also the proud recipient of the American Cancer Society’s “Top National Elected Official” award.

Matt Salmon has received the endorsements from Arizona Congressman Trent Franks, Arizona Congressman David Schweikert, former Arizona Congressman John Shadegg, Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio, Mayor Scott Smith (Mesa), Mayor Jay Tibshraeny (Chandler), Mayor Hugh Hallman (Tempe), Mayor John Insalaco (Apache Junction), Mayor Gail Barney (Queen Creek), Arizona State Senate Majority Leader Andy Biggs (LD22), State Senator John McComish (LD20), former State Senator Chuck Gray, and State Representatives Eddie Farnsworth (LD22), Jeff Dial (LD20), and Bob Robson (LD20). Salmon has also been endorsed by South Dakota Senator John Thune, Oklahoma Senator Tom Coburn, Pennsylvania Senator Pat Toomey and Congressman Darrell Issa (CA-49).

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: February 7, 2012
CONTACT: Julie Lind

Tempe Candidate for Mayor and Current Tempe Mayor Praise County Attorney for Showing the Way

(Tempe, Arizona)Candidate for Tempe Mayor Michael Monti is joining Mayor Hugh Hallman in calling for gift bans and reporting requirements in Tempe. Maricopa County Attorney Bill Montgomery has proposed a long list of restrictions to prevent another Fiesta Bowl scandal. Monti and Hallman believe Tempe should lead the way and adopt a strict set of rules on the municipal level. They include:

• Reporting any gifts worth more than $15 dollars
• Banning all gifts valued at more than $50
• Immediate reporting of gifts on the city website
• Penalties for officials who knowingly violate the rules
• Immediate reporting of taxpayer funded travel expenses

Tempe Mayor Hugh Hallman has set the standard in Tempe by refusing gifts of any kind. He has even turned down perks such as a parking space at Tempe City Hall. County Attorney Bill Montgomery has listed a set of rules that can easily be adopted at all levels of government.

Monti said, “Our Mayor has set the standard. Our County Attorney has identified the proper standards. Now it’s time for Tempe to adopt those standards so that we can lead the way in clean government. Not everyone has followed Mayor Hallman’s example.”

Michael Monti, owner of Tempe’s historic Monti’s La Casa Vieja, co-founded Local First, Arizona. He is also active in the Tempe Diablos Charities, and is the youngest inductee in the Arizona Restaurant Association’s Hall of Fame.

His campaign is based on bringing private sector ideas to government, fiscal responsibility, civic involvement, economic opportunity, and innovation. His proposals include:

• Financial incentives for city workers who save tax dollars
• The creation of the Tempe Community Corps to increase volunteerism, and aid Tempe neighborhoods Partnerships with ASU and the business community to bring more jobs to Tempe
• The creation of a public swimming beach at Tempe Town Lake, paid for by the private sector
• Partnerships with the ASU College of Nursing to aid Tempe seniors
• Encouraging businesses to embrace eco-friendly projects such as the Blink Car Charging Stations at Monti’s La Casa Vieja
• A ban on texting while driving in Tempe
• Gift bans and strict reporting requirements

Arizona leaders and organizations that have endorsed Michael Monti include:

• Tempe Mayor Hugh Hallman
• Tempe Council Member Onnie Shekerjian
• Tempe’s first elected Mayor, Rudy Campbell
• The Tempe Chamber of Commerce
• Arizona Attorney General Tom Horne
• Congressman David Schweikert
• Former Tempe City Council Member ‘Hut’ Hutson
• Former State Rep. Laura Knaperek
• Tempe Democrat Carl Hayden
• Maricopa County Attorney Bill Montgomery

To visit the Monti4 Mayor Website click here or log on to www.monti4mayor.com (@monti4mayor).

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: February 8, 2012
CONTACT: Chris Baker

Another CD6 Leader Endorses Schweikert 

(Scottsdale) Schweikert for Congress Campaign announced today that Scottsdale Mayor W.J. “Jim” Lane has endorsed Congressman David Schweikert for reelection in Congressional District 6.

Mayor Lane’s endorsement is another in a line of leaders in CD6 who have endorsed David Schweikert’s reelection.

“I am very pleased to have Mayor Lane’s endorsement for my reelection,” said Congressman David Schweikert. “Mayor Lane’s leadership in Scottsdale has been fantastic. I am proud to have his support.”

Mayor Lane’s endorsement comes on the heels of endorsements by Maricopa County Attorney Bill Montgomery, Phoenix City Councilman Sal DiCiccio, and former State Senator Jim Waring.

“There is no question that Congressman Schweikert is the right choice in Arizona’s 6th Congressional District,” said Mayor Lane.

“Congressman Schweikert’s leadership and long-time ties to our community have served us well in Congress, and I am confident that he will continue to be our strongest advocate. I encourage all of my fellow District 6 voters to join me in supporting David.”

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: February 8, 2012

Citizens United endorses Jesse Kelly in AZ-08 special

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For Immediate Release: February 7, 2012
Contact: Joshua W. Jones

PHOENIX – Today, Save Our Secret Ballot (SOS Ballot) announced that Gov. Jeb Bush will keynote an event in Scottsdale, Az., on Monday, Feb. 13, 2012, to highlight the continued need for a secret ballot wherever state or federal law requires an election.

Chaired by the Hon. Ken Blackwell, SOS Ballot appeared on the 2010 ballot in four states, including Arizona, where it passed with 60 percent of the vote—sending a firm statement that the majority of Arizonans want to protect workers’ rights to a secret ballot.

“Big Labor is demanding to change the way unions are organized: namely, to end an employee’s right to a secret-ballot when deciding whether or not to join a union,” said Blackwell. “Eliminating the secret-ballot requirement opens the process up to widespread intimidation,” he continued.

“If unions get their way, a business could be unionized virtually overnight—no campaign, no election and certainly no secret ballot,” said Blackwell.

Shortly after passing SOS Ballot, the union-controlled National Labor Relations Board threatened to file legal suit against each of the four states SOS Ballot passed if the states recognized the provisions approved by voters.

In April, the NLRB initiated suits against Arizona and South Carolina, reserving the right to initiate a suit against the other two states.

To the NLRB lawsuit, Joshua W. Jones, a spokesman for SOS Ballot says, “Bring it on.”

“The radical progressives in the Obama Administration have made it clear that they do not want to respect workers’ rights,” said Jones.

“Unions spent $171 million during the 2010 congressional elections and more than $400 million to elect Obama,” said Jones. “While Obama continues to represent well-funded-union-interests, SOS Ballot will continue fighting to represent the average American worker,” he continued.

The event on Feb. 13 has already drawn the support of dozens of Arizona legislators and all four attorney generals where SOS Ballot was passed in 2010.

“We are enthusiastic to have Gov. Bush joining us at our event on Monday,” said Blackwell. “At SOS Ballot, we are gearing up for an aggressive fight in front of the United States Supreme Court, the venue where this issue will ultimately be decided,” he continued.

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Chaired by the Hon. Ken Blackwell, SOS Ballot, Inc. (Save Our Secret Ballot) is a 501(c)(4) organization dedicated to educating the American public on the continued need for a secret ballot wherever state or federal law requires elections. To continue to protect this inalienable right, SOS Ballot will file and place on the ballot in various states a Constitutional Amendment to protect this right. SOS Ballot and our supporters believe that a voter’s right to a secret ballot is an essential and fundamental principle in our society and offers opportunities for broader voter participation. Without the ability to vote secretly, individual political freedom will decline and be subject to threats and intimidation by those who want voters to pursue a specific course of action or ideology.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: February 7, 2012
CONTACT: Sen. Russell Pearce

Ban Amnesty Now president says America’s highest court will not turn back on states’ rights

PHOENIX—Senator Russell Pearce, the author of SB1070 and newly-appointed president of America’s largest grassroots anti-illegal immigration organization, said today the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to hear arguments on Arizona’s contested SB1070 legislation was great news for every legal U.S. citizen.

“When the activist judges in lower federal courts bowed to Barack Obama’s whims and put illegal aliens ahead of American citizens, undermined the Rule of Law, they followed in the president’s footsteps in perpetrating a great injustice against our nation, our citizens Constitutional rights and the state of Arizona,” said Pearce.

“We are a nation of fifty sovereign U.S. states, not a nation of 50 subservient states to be dictated to by a Big Brother leviathan. When the Supreme Court rules, I expect that Washington will learn an important lesson in its proper role, not just on immigration but in its role in governance,” Pearce said.

“We send far too much money to Washington for this to be the treatment we get in return. Sovereign U.S. states and legal U.S. citizens were never meant by our Founding Fathers to become penniless orphans in some Twilight Zone version of a Charles Dickens story, begging for scraps from an all-powerful, dictatorial federal government which waves full ladles of nourishment above our heads but never pours anything into our bowls,” said Pearce.

“When the Court rules, I expect power to return to the states, and Ban Amnesty Now by then will be working diligently to pass SB1070-style legislation in all 50 states, like Alabama, South Carolina and Georgia already have” he said. “The president can sue every state if he pleases, or he can get out of the way while we do the job Washington won’t in protecting our great nation from illegal aliens.

“I fully expect we, the legal citizens of Arizona and America, will win in the Supreme Court on SB1070, just as we did with Arizona’s Employers Sanction Law, the toughest in the nation, which goes after illegal employers and protects American jobs and was upheld five-to-three in the Supreme Court,” said Pearce.

While 6 of the 10 provisions of SB1070 were upheld, four main provisions of the contested SB1070 were blocked from implementation by lower courts, including:

(1) requiring law enforcement officers to make a reasonable attempt to determine the immigration status of a person stopped, detained or arrested if there is reasonable suspicion that person is an illegal alien;

(2) creating a crime of failure to apply for or carry “alien-registration papers”;

(3) permitting the arrest of an illegal alien in which there is probable cause to believe the individual committed a public offense that makes him or her removable from the U.S.; and,

(4) making it a crime for illegal aliens to solicit, apply for or perform work.

“America is greater than any one man, than any one president,” said Pearce. “I believe the court will rule on the side of law, our Constitution, and states’ rights, and that we will prove our nation can indeed work again. This will be an important ruling, an important milestone, in a long road ahead to restoring the rule of law, America’s economy, political and national security.”

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PHOENIX, AZ: Representative Ben Quayle issued the following statement regarding his decision to seek reelection to the House of Representatives. Quayle announced today that he will be running in Congressional District 6, where more than two-thirds of his current constituents live:

“The House of Representatives was conceived and designed to provide local representation of the diverse communities of America. The work of Arizona’s redistricting commission has placed many people in difficult positions, but at the end of the day my choice is to continue representing the people I represent today. The large majority of them are in District 6, and their values are my values.

“It has been a privilege to get to know my constituents, both as a candidate and as their Congressman. In my initial year in Congress I have focused on maintaining my connection to them. The interactions I’ve had with them and the relationships we’ve built have enabled me to be an effective advocate and voice for the community.

“As this primary moves forward I sincerely hope we will see a campaign focused on the critical issues facing Arizona and our country. This should be a substantive race with a tone that honors our party, our nation and the voters of the 6th District.

“I ran for Congress because Washington needs real reform. We need to simplify the tax code, end unnecessary regulations and free America’s creative spirit. I believe that members of Congress need to give up their gold-plated pensions and perks and share in the same sacrifice as all Americans. I believe we need to end the complacent career culture of politics in Washington and shake up the system. I believe we have a president who fundamentally misunderstands America, and an administration that has serially abused Arizona. I want to go back to Washington to fight for the state I love and the values I believe in. With the continued support of my fellow Arizonans, that’s what I will do.”

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Distributed by C O M M O N  S E N S E , in Arizona
Wednesday,February 2, 2012

The Arizona 2012 Project opened new offices at 3375 E. Shea Boulevard this week to an overflow attendance.  The comfortable meeting facilities include a huge meeting area with seating for more than eighty persons that can be quickly converted to work space for volunteers. Included in the floor plan is ample room for campaign training sessions to come.  A formal Open House is planned for later in the month.

Later, speaking for the Arizona 2012 Project, Chairman Ron Ludders reacted to Maricopa County Supervisor Fulton Brock’s withdrawal from the race to re-election saying, “We have been encouraging Councilman Brock to make a decision to take some personal time away from the political grind.  Unburdened from having to scrape together a campaign in the face of growing grassroots political pressure, Fulton will be able to focus on his more immediate personal needs. We wish him every success.”

Asked about that pressure, Ludders reminded, “It is obvious that Conservatives in general and the Tea Party movement in particular have awakened.  We’re no longer content with simply voting for the lesser of two evils and are learning how to use our numbers to affect policy, legislation, and candidate selection.  Look at the last two G.O.P. mandatory meetings in Phoenix.  At the county meeting, the ‘Tea Party’ slate won with a first ballot victory boasting vote margins of almost 3 to 1 over the entrenched ruling class Republicans.  The state meeting echoed growing Tea power by handily electing Chairman Morrissey’s slate while rejecting that ticket’s Third Vice-Chairman candidate, John Rhodes, who is known for his antipathy toward the Tea Party movement.”

Continuing his comments, Ludders informed, “The Arizona 2012 Project is becoming known as ‘The Tea Party A-Team’ because we recruit serious people who want to get deep into the political weeds as activists and advocates.  That effort is paying off with a new legion of dedicated Conservatives working more closely with their legislators both publicly and behind the scenes.”

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: February 1, 2012
CONTACT: Adam Deguire

Arizona Congressman calls Salmon a “principled conservative” in video message 

EAST VALLEY – Former Congressman and candidate for Arizona’s 5th Congressional District Matt Salmon today announced the endorsement of Arizona Congressman David Schweikert. Congressman Schweikert, known as one of the Republican Party’s rising conservatives, endorsed Salmon in a video message released today.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Congressman Schweikert stated, “Our nation is facing so many challenges and we need our most experienced and principled leaders in Congress to help get America back on the right track. I chose to endorse Matt Salmon for Arizona’s East Valley congressional seat because Matt has been a trusted conservative leader as a state senator and Congressman before, and I know he’ll be that same trusted leader when he returns to Washington. I’m proud to join his growing team of supporters.”

Former Congressman Matt Salmon stated, “Arizonans are fortunate to have David Schweikert in Congress and I am honored to have his support for my campaign. David is a true statesman who always puts the interest of his constituents first. I’m excited to return to Congress and serve alongside leaders like David so we can restore fiscal responsibility and accountability in Washington.”

About Representative David Schweikert
David Schweikert has been a lifelong advocate for Arizona. He was raised in Scottsdale and attended Arizona State University where he earned a BA degree in finance and real estate as well as his MBA.

David is serving his first term in the United States House of Representatives representing Arizona’s 5th district. He serves on the Financial Services Committee.

Prior to being elected to the 112th Congress, David served as Treasurer of Maricopa County in 2004. As Treasurer of one of the largest counties in the United States, David was responsible for protecting billions of taxpayer dollars and earning over $300 million in investment income while never showing a deficit despite a tough economic environment.

David first became a public servant in 1991, when he was elected to serve in the Arizona State House representing his hometown, Scottsdale and Fountain Hills. David and his wife Joyce reside in Fountain Hills with their famous Wheaten Terrier, Charlie, and two cats. Together they run a real estate business.

About Matt Salmon
Matt Salmon was first elected to the United States Congress in 1994 and served until 2000, honoring his term limit pledge. A proud conservative, Salmon was rated in the top five among all 535 members of the House and Senate by Citizen’s Against Government Waste for all six years he was in office. He is a lifetime member of the NRA with an A+ rating and also earned a 100% rating by the National Right to Life. He was also the proud recipient of the American Cancer Society’s “Top National Elected Official” award.

Matt Salmon has received the endorsements from Arizona Congressman Trent Franks, former Arizona Congressman John Shadegg, Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio, Mayor Scott Smith (Mesa), Mayor Jay Tibshraeny (Chandler), Mayor Hugh Hallman (Tempe), Mayor John Insalaco (Apache Junction), Mayor Gail Barney (Queen Creek), Arizona State Senate Majority Leader Andy Biggs (LD22), State Senator John McComish (LD20), former State Senator Chuck Gray, and State Representatives Eddie Farnsworth (LD22), Jeff Dial (LD20), and Bob Robson (LD20). Salmon has also been endorsed by South Dakota Senator John Thune, Oklahoma Senator Tom Coburn, Pennsylvania Senator Pat Toomey and Congressman Darrell Issa (CA-49).

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: February 2nd, 2012
Contact: Chad Heywood

Kirk Adams Campaign Releases New Video Featuring Sen. Jon Kyl 

East Valley, AZ – Honorary Campaign Chairman, Senator Jon Kyl recently held an event for Kirk Adams and it was recorded into a web video, which the Kirk Adams campaign released today.

Click here to view the embedded video.

“Some folks go back to Washington, and they change,” Kyl said, “We need folks like Kirk in Washington; these are really difficult times as you know and Kirk has the experience, he’s got common sense, he’s practical but he’s idealistic in a conservative way.”

Kirk Adams shook up Arizona’s state Capitol, and the conservative reformer will do the same in Congress.

A rising star in the Republican Party, Adams joined the state House in 2006 and was soon frustrated by the unwillingness and inability of Republicans in the Legislature to stand up for conservative principals. He launched a long-shot campaign to oust the veteran Speaker of the House and shocked the Republican establishment when he won Speakership at only 35 years of age.

Adams put the House back on a fiscally responsible track. Tackling some of the most challenging issues in Arizona history, Adams demonstrated true political courage and aggressively pushed his conservative reform agenda.

A native Arizonan and small business owner, Adams lives in Mesa with his wife JaNae and their six children.

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FOR IMMEDIATE PRESS RELEASE

A Panel Discussion: OBAMACARE

Phoenix, AZ – On Wednesday, February 8, 2012, Arizona Mainstream Project (AMP) will bring to the public a panel discussion on Obamacare.  Speaking on this panel will be Goldwater Institute’s Senior Attorney Diane Cohen and Director – Center for Economic Prosperity Byron Schlomach, Dr. Jeff Singer, and former AZ Congressman John Shadegg.  550 KFYI Talk Host Terry Gilberg will be the moderator for the discussion.

Each panel member will share their personal expertise and direct involvement with uncovering the facts about The Affordable Care Act and how it has begun and will continue to negatively impact the lives of ALL Americans.  You will gain a better understanding of this law and how it applies to your access to health care, the current legal battles, and how you can help stop this anti-American and socialistic agenda.

Diane Cohen:

The Affordable Care Act mandated states to establish insurance exchanges by 2014 or have exchanges set up by HHS. These exchanges are nothing more than invitation-only clubs where only government sanctioned insurers can play. They must meet all the federally mandated medical coverages/benefits specified by the Secretary of Health and Human Services. In an effort to preserve some sovereignty, states, even some who opposed the federal healthcare law, including Arizona, are rushing to get federal money to set up these exchanges. Diane Cohen, Senior Attorney, of the Goldwater Institute will refute this notion.  Ms. Cohen has testified before Congress on the Independent Payment Advisory Board (IPAB). She will explain what effect this fifteen-member board of political appointees will have in our future.

Dr. Byron Schlomach:

Byron will discuss how government is at the root of our problems in health care, making it the problem, not the solution. He will show you how our income tax system plays a major role in determining what our health care system looks like and how it operates.

Dr. Jeff Singer:

Dr. Singer will discuss the ways in which “Obamacare” will affect the patient doctor relationship, the relationship of the doctor with the state, the relationship of the patient with the state, the loss of personal autonomy, and the ultimate decrease in quality and rationing of heath care that will inevitably result from “Obamacare.”

John Shadegg:

President Obama promised that the cost of health care would go down and it hasn’t. A recent HHS press release acknowledged that premiums have gone up by as much as 12.8% in the last year after the rates were reviewed by state bureaucrats under the provisions of Obamacare. Obama has also promised that if you liked your health care plan, you could keep it. Yet, we now know that Obamacare mandates will not allow anyone to keep the plan they had. As the nation’s economy struggles, Obamacare increases taxes by 800 billion dollars and crushes jobs. Learn how free market solutions will reform health care in ways that promotes quality and reduces costs for all Americans.

Date: Wednesday, February 8, 2012
Location:  Goldwater Institute Auditorium
Address: 500 E. Coronado Road, Phoenix,  AZ

Time: 6:00 pm – 8:30 pm (doors open at 5:30)

Light snacks and beverages will be served

Cost:  $10.00 per person

To reserve your seat we encourage you to RSVP and purchase tickets in advance

Go to: http://www.arizonamainstreamproject.org/#q=Seminars-18

or send payment to:

Arizona Mainstream Project
15029 N. Thompson Peak Parkway
Suite B-111 Box 589
Scottsdale, AZ 85260

This panel discussion will be STREAMED LIVE from AMP’s website.

A “Live Stream” button will be available on our homepage www.ArizonaMainstreamProject.org on the day of the event.  Follow the instructions to access the live video stream.

Contact: Honey Marques, Executive Director, at 808-283-3661 or honey@arizonamainstreamproject.org

Arizona Mainstream Project is a 501 (c) 3 non-profit charitable grassroots organization whose mission is to attract, educate, and mobilize the people of Arizona around America’s founding principles and leadership. AMP believes in the principles of a constitutionally limited government, free markets, fiscal responsibility, and individual liberty to promote the common good and prosperity for the people of Arizona.

Conservative Team Emerges for GOP in New LD11

~ Smith’s move to the State House paves way for united GOP slate ~ 

Central Arizona – After careful consideration, conservative State Senator Steve Smith announced that he would be running as a candidate for the State House in 2012, thwarting an attempt by the liberal Arizona Redistricting Commission to force him into a primary with fellow conservative State Senator Al Melvin. Smith and Adam Kwasman, a financial consultant, will be candidates for the two House seats while Al Melvin will run for re-election to the State Senate.

In 2010, Smith shocked the political establishment with his stunning victory over longtime incumbent Rebecca Rios, whose family had held the seat for nearly 30 years. He joined Melvin in the State Senate where they worked together to pass a balanced budget free of the gimmicks and borrowing that had plagued Arizona for years. They also worked to pass a Jobs Bills to encourage job growth by cutting state spending and providing needed tax relief for businesses. Their hard work has been rewarded as Arizona is now projected to have a budget surplus of more than $600 Million in 2012.

Kwasman is well known for his role in helping to elect conservative Republicans, and his campaign has already received the support of prominent Republicans like U.S. Congressman Trent Franks, Sheriff Joe Arpaio and Arizona Attorney General Tom Horne.

In discussing their newly formed campaign team Senator Melvin said “Steve and I have worked together very well in the Senate and I think that everyone appreciates him putting the district and the whole Republican Party first. The Redistricting Commission has tried very hard to pit Republican versus Republican and they failed in the new LD11.”

Smith said “In light of the fact that Senator Melvin is now the senior Senator in our new district, I feel that it is my responsibility to do whatever it takes to try and keep both of our conservative voices in the Legislature. I am also looking forward to serving with Adam Kwasman. He is an outstanding conservative candidate and he will make an excellent addition to the State Legislature.”

Kwasman agreed with Melvin’s statement and added “It is a privilege to be on the same team as these two conservative champions. They bring a wealth of knowledge and experience from the Legislature, the private sector, and the military, and I look forward to working with them to protect the taxpayers, attract more jobs, and keep Arizona’s economic recovery on track.”

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: January 30, 2012
CONTACT: Teri Grier

GLOBE, ARIZONA (January 30, 2012) — A long time law enforcement officer says he wants to be Gila County’s next sheriff.

Darrell Stubbs has announced his intention to run for Gila County Sheriff on the 2012 ballot. A 25 year law enforcement veteran, Stubbs says, “It’s time we take back our county from this culture of crime that has moved into our communities! Our families deserve it. Our businesses deserve it. Our communities deserve it.”

In addition to being an AZ POST certified peace officer, Stubbs’ work history includes serving as a Gila County deputy sheriff, a patrol officer for the Town of Miami, a member of the Gila County Narcotic Task Force.

Stubbs said he believes that living and working in Gila County for over 40 years gives him a unique perspective on the needs of the people of this county. He has logged thousands of hours patrolling the county roadways and lakes, working in the schools as a resource officer and serving as an instructor in the community and for other police officers in the state.

“I am very familiar with the challenges in serving a rural county,” said Stubbs. “I have first-hand experience in what it takes to be a patrol officer, investigator, and deputy in Gila County.”

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