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Political Buzz – 2011

JAN PAC

The federal PAC formed by Brewer is a way for the governor to fund federal candidates who she supports. According to the committee's website the purpose is to back candidates who agree with Governor Brewer's ideas when it comes to securing the border and opposing the federal health care law.

The PAC is new so right now it has filed no monetary reports with the Federal Elections Commission. The first financial data for Jan PAC will be released in January.


UNFLATTERING LIGHT SHINES AGAIN ON AZ

"Bully meets Nice Guy" is the headline on a full-page story in the current issue of The Economist magazine, portraying the recall election race between Russell Pearce and Jerry Lewis in Mesa.

The story calls state Senate President Pearce "a tough-talking Mormon Republican from Mesa" who manifests a "gun-loving and government-hating conservatism."

It describes the matchup between Pearce and Lewis this way: "Next to Mr. Pearce's aggression, Mr. Lewis embodies niceness and politeness."

The story says that in Tuesday's recall election, the choice is one of tone and style rather than substance, although it allows that the tone and style have become substance.

A poll last week from the Arizona Capitol Times shows the race a virtual dead heat, giving Lewis a slight lead that is within the poll's margin of error.

The outcome, as The Economist suggests, may change who serves in the Senate and the manner in which he serves, but it won't change the conservative bent of the Republican majority.

Arizona Senate Jerry Lewis Russell Pearce The Economist,

PEARCE RECALL TOO CLOSE TO CALL

A poll conducted by the Capitol Times shows a statistical dead heat between Jerry Lewis and Russell Pearce. According to the poll, which was released just days before voters cast their ballots, Lewis is picking up 46% of the voters to Pearce’s 43%. That is within the margin of error so the race is a dead heat.

If Pearce loses the election on Tuesday, he will be the first sitting member of the Arizona Legislature to be recalled.


A VIDEO TO EXPLAIN REDISTRICTING

The non-profit news organization ProPublica made a music video to explain redistricting. It includes a basic explanation at the beginning of why we draw new congressional and legislative district lines every ten years.


ARIZONA'S DEBATE

Arizona's Republican presidential primary debate will be Nov. 30 at the Mesa Arts Center. That's a day earlier than the state Republican party initially announced, but now it's firm.

The event is scheduled to be broadcast on CNN at 6 p.m. local time.

Governor Jan Brewer said in a statement Arizona will play a key role in the race to select the GOP's nominee next year.

The national Republican Party granted Arizona the opportunity to host a debate in exchange for Brewer keeping the presidential preference election on Feb. 27. Brewer was at one time considering moving that date earlier in the year. Such a decision could have cost Arizona delegates at the party's national convention next year.

All that's left to find out is how many Republican candidates will be in Mesa Nov. 30. Some debates earlier this year featured as many as nine candidates on the stage.


CONGRESSIONAL RUMORS

The Arizona Republic reported this weekend that State Sen. Ron Gould, a Republican from Lake Havasu City, is considering running for Congress in what will likely be the new district 4.

If the districts don't change, Gould could end up in a primary race with Paul Babeu, Republican Sheriff of Pinal County. It's worth noting that neither of the men have formally filed an exploratory committee, according to online Internal Revenue Service records. Once a person is officially a candidate for office, their financial accounting is done through the Federal Election Commission. While considering a run, potential candidates must create an exploratory committee through the IRS.

Keep in mind the puzzle of redistricting is not yet fully put together. The draft maps are still the subject of public hearings throughout the state, and need final approval from the U.S. Justice Department. Then there's the other issue of contention about whether the mapping process has been fair and legal, which is also still playing out.

About Political Buzz

News, commentary, analysis from the AZPM political team: Christopher Conover, Andrea Kelly, Michael Chihak.