County Supe Race: Nancy Young Wright announces. Vic Williams polishes his moderate/conservative Republican cred

by David Safier

Former LD-26 State Legislator, Democrat Nancy Young Wright, has formally announced her candidacy for the open Pima Country District 1 Supervisor seat. You can read her Media Release after the jump. So far as I know, none of the four potential Republican candidates have formally announced.

[Full disclosure: I do volunteer work with Nancy Young Wright's campaign.]

The most active R non-candidate is current LD-26 legislator Vic Williams, getting his name on every op ed he can, being quoted in as many news stories as possible. Once again, Vic has licked his index finger, stuck it in the air and figured out what's blowin' in the wind. The man needs no polls. He has nearly perfect political pitch. It borders on the uncanny.

What Vic has figured is, Mike Hellon, part of the old guard Republican establishment, may have more appeal to moderates. Meanwhile, Ally Miller and Stuart McDaniel are running to his right. So Vic has to take a non-position somewhere right in the middle and try to pick votes one by one from his opponents.

Vic's latest gambit: picking a fight with his LD-26 colleague, Sen. Al Melvin, in The Explorer. "Melvin called me a RINO!" Vic bellows. "Am not!" Al's reason for the trash talk, according to Vic, is Vic's support of Gov. Brewer. In fact, Vic tells us, he has a "proven fiscally conservative, pro-business voting record."

Get it? Vic is a uniter, not a divider, a conservative who supports the guv, unlike Al. He's moderate. He's conservative. He's whatever you want him to be. Then — and this is Vic at his manly best — he chests up to Al, writing,

"Senator Melvin, I challenge you to a series of public debates or a series of editorials regarding our policy differences to be hosted by an impartial party."

Inside, Vic is thinking, "Please, Al, Please, let's fight in public. More free publicity!"

You can read Wright's declaration of candidacy after the jump.

Young Wright files for Pima County Supervisor District 1 seat

TUCSON – Nancy Young Wright changed the status of her committee for the office of Pima County Supervisor, District 1, from Exploratory to a definite status.

Young Wright served for three years as a state representative for Legislative District 26, which covers 400 square miles in northwest Pima County. During her time in the Legislature, she worked successfully across the aisle on bipartisan bills involving foster care, local fire districts, law enforcement and animal welfare.

“Arizona and Pima County are facing important challenges. Now, more than ever, we must put partisanship aside and solve problems,” she said. “The hard-working families in this district deserve a supervisor who will be a dedicated, common-sense fighter for their values and quality of life."

Young Wright’s campaign priorities will focus on:

        •Job creation and economic development.
        •Promoting strong, responsive law enforcement.
        •Promoting strong public schools.
        •Protecting Pima County’s water supplies and natural desert.

She also served for 10 years on the Amphitheater Unified School District Governing Board, where she was known for her advocacy for taxpayers, students, and teachers.
She has been deeply committed to community service in District 1 in the areas of education, literacy, parks, trails and open space.

Young Wright and her husband, Allen, have lived in District 1 for 28 years. Their two children attended Amphitheater Public Schools. She is a fourth-generation southwesterner whose grandparents and great-grandparents were homesteaders in New Mexico. The family ran a country grocery store for nearly 90 years.

“I understand that we absolutely must create an environment that helps existing businesses and attracts new ones,” she said. “I also know that County government must protect public safety, upgrade our crumbling roads, and partner with local municipalities. My commitment is to be a hardworking, accessible and responsive County Supervisor.”