Pearce Recall: Tom Cattey withdraws, endorses Jerry Lewis

Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

And then there were two…

Independent Tom Cattey has suspended his campaign and has endorsed Republican challenger Jerry Lewis in the Pearce Recall election. Mesa minister Cattey drops out of Pearce recall election

Cattey, a registered independent with no political experience, said he never intended to split the vote in the race.

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Cattey said Friday that he will work for Lewis' campaign and that his primary motive for getting involved in the first place is to remove Pearce.

"I believe Jerry Lewis will bring humanity to the office of senate," Cattey said.

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The only other announced candidate in the race is Olivia Cortes, a political unknown who has not made herself available for media interviews.

Ms. Cortes does not appear to be a serious candidate. LD 18 voters should not waste their signature on her petitions. Does anyone think she’s for real? – Arizona Capitol Times (subscription required). "Many Pearce opponents believe that Olivia Cortes, the other Mormon Republican who has entered the LD18 recall race, is little more than a plant from the Pearce camp whose sole purpose in the contest will be to draw anti-Pearce votes away from Jerry Lewis."

Jerry Lewis is expected to file his petitions shortly. We should have the one-on-one matchup that recall organizers wanted.

UPDATE: A judge late Friday gave the go-ahead for a Nov. 8 recall election of Senate President Russell Pearce. Judge gives go-ahead for Pearce recall election – East Valley Tribune:

Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Mark Brain rejected each of the contentions of Lisa Hauser, attorney for supporters of the Mesa Republican, that there were legal and procedural errors in both the petition itself and in the way people signed it.

The ruling, however, is not the last word. Hauser said she intends to ask the Arizona Supreme Court to review the matter.

Hauser said she expects to discuss a schedule for an appeal with the duty justice of the Supreme Court next week, with both sides filing their paperwork by the end of the month.