Al Melvin makes Conservation Voters’ national “Dirty Dozen” list

by David Safier

Talk about your dubious honors. The League of Conservation Voters chose

12 of the Dirtiest Candidates for State Office Selected from Hundreds of Candidates from Across the Country

Cap'n Atomic Al Melvin made the list.

Think about it. One person was chosen in each of 12 states. Out of all the potential choices in Arizona — and when it comes to despoilers of the environment, our Republican legislators offer an embarrassment of riches — LCV chose Melvin to be the state's poster child.

Takes your breath away, doesn't it?

In case you don't follow the state legislative races carefully, Al Melvin is the one term, extreme right wing Republican state senator from LD-26. He lost in his first try in 2006. He won by a slim margin over Democrat Cheryl Cage in 2008. Cage is back this year, working hard to knock Melvin out of the legislature. After 2 years, Melvin is a man with a deplorable voting record he has to defend. And he wants Arizona to be the nation's nuclear waste dump. And he is Russell Pearce's right hand man. He's very beatable.

A few more bits of information about LD-26.

In the House race, newcomer Republican Terri Proud is the hand picked candidate of Al Melvin and Russell Pearce. She's trying to take one of the seats now held by Democrat Nancy Young Wright and Republican Vic Williams.

LD-26 is one of a handful of legislative districts statewide that can go Democratic or Republican, even though Republicans outnumber Democrats. Whoever wins in LD-26, it will have a major impact on the legislature, for better or for worse.