Posted by AzBlueMeanie:
I was thinking about starting the "SWAG" (silly wild ass guess) post for candidates filed to run for office in 2012 as early as this summer. But apparently I need to start a post for the next election cycle in 2014 as well. This is getting ridiculous.
I posted earlier about A number of election law changes signed into law, including HB 2304, the "omnibus state elections" bill, which makes numerous changes to election procedures. It contains a provision that "permits a candidate who has established an exploratory committee to collect contributions [the courts effectively eviscerated Arizona's "Resign to Run" law in 2010 in John Huppenthal's case; this makes it official]."
The omnibus state elections bill was supported by Secretary of State Ken Bennett, and now we know why.
On Friday, Ken Bennett announced that he is filing an exploratory committee to run for governor in 2014. I kid you not. Secretary of State eyes 2014 Ariz. governor's race:
Arizona Secretary of State Ken Bennett has filed paperwork to form an exploratory committee for the 2014 gubernatorial race.
AZGOP communications director Matt Roberts confirmed the news Friday.
That was after the Arizona Republic says Bennett posted a message on Twitter about forming an exploratory committee.
Roberts says Bennett filed the paperwork Wednesday. However, Bennett can't start campaigning or raising money until January 2014. (emphasis added).
Not true — see the Huppenthal case (he was collecting petition signatures and collecting campaign contributions well before January 2010).
This is precisely why Arizonans enacted a "Resign to Run" law to prevent politicians from running for the next elective office before they have barely begun serving in the office to which they were just elected. Thanks to the Arizona courts not being willing to enforce the law, the "Resign to Run" law is no longer a deterrent.
Does Bennett think that by filing an exploratory committee now he can "freeze out" other GOP candidates considering a run for governor in 2014? He may want to check with the current occupant who seems to believe that term limits in the Arizona Constitution do not apply to her — because she's somehow special. And there is never a shortage of yahoos who think that they are qualified to run for governor of Arizona.