Posted by AzBlueMeanie: The deadline for nominating a volunteer for this year's 2011 Volunteer Awards Night has been extended until September 10. Advertisement Many of the caucuses and clubs will be meeting the first week of September, so this is the perfect time to hand out the nomination form. You may click here to open … Read more

Posted by AzBlueMeanie: Mike Shaw, interim Pima County GOP chairman: "We didn't go out to buy a Glock to make people mad – not at all," Shaw said. "There are some people who are sincerely offended or maybe even hurt, and I feel bad about that. It was not my intent, or anybody's intent, to … Read more

Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

Time for an update to the "Silly Wild Ass Guess" (SWAG) list of who is running for office in 2012. The district maps have not even been drawn, yet alone litigated in court, but there are a number of campaign committees for 2012 based upon current legislative districts.

As you might expect, this list is going to be subject to change when new districts have been established by the AIRC. And as always, candidates will come and go.

I will periodically update the list. You can follow along at home at the Arizona Secretary of State's web site Campaign Finance Search – Candidates.

Filer ID # beginning "2012" except where indicated (*). Some committees are exploratory committees.

Arizona Legislature

LD 01    Stephen Pierce, Senate (R)
LD 01    Karen Fann, House (R)
LD 01    Andrew Tobin, House (R)

LD 03    Salvatore "Sam" Scarmardo, Senate (R)
LD 03    Kelli Ward, Senate (R)
LD 03    Doris Goodale, House (R)

LD 04    Scott Bundgaard, Senate (R)
LD 04    Jack Harper, House (R)*

LD 05    Sylvia Allen, Senate (R)
LD 05    Brenda Barton, House (R)
LD 05    Chester Crandall, House (R)

LD 06    Lori Klein, Senate (R)
LD 06    James Bearup, House (R)
LD 06    Amanda Reeve, House (R)*
LD 06    Carl Seel, House (R)

LD 07    Heather Carter, House (R)

LD 08    Michele Reagan, Senate (R)
LD 08    John Kavanagh, House (R)
LD 08    Michelle Ugenti, House (R)

LD 09    Richard "Rick" Gray, House (R)
LD 09    Debbie Lesko, House (R)

LD 11    Adam Driggs, Senate (R)*
LD 11    Kate McGee, House (R)
LD 11    Eric Meyer, House (D)*

by David Safier [NOTE: I created The Gatewood in honor of Henry Gatewood, the banker in John Ford's 1939 "Stagecoach" who ran off with $50,000 in payroll money and said, while clutching the satchel full of stolen money, "'America for Americans! The government must not interfere with business! Reduce taxes! Our national debt is something … Read more

by David Safier Rick Perry wants to be a candidate for all the people — all the Christian people who believe in his brand of religion, that is. A book Perry is reading right now is Charles Stanley’s "Turning the Tide." The "Tide" in the title is a "tsunami of death and depravity that we’re … Read more

by David Safier Yesterday, I commented on the tiny little mention in the Star's business section about Arizona Commerce Authority CEO Don Cardon's salary bump from $183,000 to $300,000 a year. The very well-to-do voting members of the Commerce Authority board probably spend that much on wine with dinner in a year, so what's a … Read more