BRINGING IN THE MONEY

posted by Christopher Conover

According to campaign finance reports for the last quarter, Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords has nearly $780,000 on hand. Her campaign raised more than $280,000 in the last three months. About half of the money came from individual donors with the balance coming from political action committees.

Giffords, who was shot on January 8th, still has not announced whether or not she is running for reelection. She does not have to legally make that decision until May.

WHAT’S IN A NAME?

posted by Christopher Conover

Jerry Lewis is a conservative Republican from Mesa and according to Channel 12 in Phoenix he is set to take on Senate President Russell who is up for a recall election. Lewis, who is a political new comer, is an accountant and charter school official in Mesa. Like Senator Pearce he is also Mormon.

Senate President Pearce is the first elected official in Arizona to face a recall vote in 100 years. Opponents gathered more than 10 thousand signatures to force the recall.

DID WE JUST MEET ARIZONA'S NEXT GOVERNOR?

posted by Michael Chihak

An interview we did for a future Arizona Week uncovered Flagstaff's worst-kept secret: that Mayor Sara Presler is a superstar.

While those in Flag know about Presler, we didn't, and we assume many others south f the Mogollon Rim don't either. Here's a brief look.

We spent just an hour or so with the two-term mayor and were impressed with her political savvy, her knowledge of the convention and visitor business that makes Flagstaff business tick and how to keep it ticking.

She also showed the smarts to let business take the lead in Flagstaff's downtown redevelopment. She was so proud of it that she didn't hesitate to take yours truly for a stroll through downtown before the formal interview. Then, in the interview, she plugged it shamelessly.

Presler is 31, a lawyer and the first woman and the youngest person ever elected Flagstaff mayor. She was 28 when first elected in 2008. She is in the last year of her second two-year term and has already announced she won't run for a third term.

Flagstaff elections are nonpartisan, but Presler says "everyone knows" that she is a Democrat.

Sara Presler is someone to watch in Arizona. If she wants it, she could have a bright political futute.