SWAG Update

Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

This has been a busy week for candidate announcements which, in some contests, has led to a reshuffling of the deck as candidates who were running for one office are now running for another office. Other candidates are just now filing as election season gets underway. You can play along at home at http://www.azsos.gov/cfs/CommitteeSearch.aspx

State Treasurer Dean Martin announced that he will run for governor rather than reelection to State Treasurer. Sen. Barbara Leff immediately filed for State Treasurer. Sen. Thayer Verschoor is also running for State Treasurer.

GOP Congressman John Shadegg announced that he is retiring from Congress, touching off a feeding frenzy among Republicans who want to replace him. Rep. Sam Crump who had been exploring a run for Attorney General, and Sen. James Waring, who had been exploring a run for State Treasurer, have already announced they will run for Congress. Other Republicans considering the congressional race are Shadegg's former chief-of-staff Sean Noble, John McCain's longtime political operative Wes Gullett, Sen. Pamela Gorman (LD 6), Phoenix councilwoman Peggy Neely, Tom Smith (the founder of TASER), and Paradise Valley Mayor Vernon Parker, who is currently running for governor.  Shadegg's retirement shuffles state's political cards (Arizona Guardian, subscription required). Jon Hulburd is currently the only Democrat in the race for this open seat.

House Minority Leader Rep. David Lujan finally announced that he is running for Attorney General and he was quickly joined by Assistant Attorney General Vince Rabago who filed to run for Attorney General.

Sen. Jonathan Paton announced in the Arizona Daily Star on Sunday that he is running for Congress against Congresswoman Gabriel Giffords in CD 8. (As an aside, this pre-arranged roll-out in the Arizona Daily Star makes me question whether the Star reports the news, or is acting as the media arm of the Paton campaign as it did when Paton ran for state representative in 2006 while serving in Iraq, when former Young Republican Daniel Scarpinato was the political reporter. I expect more professionalism from Rhonda Bodfield, who worked for Democrat Patty Weiss when she ran for Congress in 2006). Paton says he's now in race for US House seat Paton said he likely will step down from his Senate seat after wrapping up some remaining issues. Super egos Reps. Frank Antenori and David Gowan both will want to move up to the Senate seat. Former District 30 Rep. Marian McClure is also seeking a comeback in politics. The Pima County Board of Supervisors will ultimately select Paton's replacement.

A word of caution, the list below does not distinguish between an "exploratory committee" and a "candidate committee." "NP" indicates no party affiliation designated on the face of the filing.

So who is out there exploring if not actually running for office in 2010?

Governor

Janelle Wood – NP
Roy Miller – NP
Kent Warren Couchee – NP
Fredrick Richard Scotty – NP
Stanford Collins – Independent
John Paul Mitchell – Independent
Alvin Ray Yount – Independent
Bruce Olsen – Libertarian
Hugh Kealer – Republican
Karen Johnson – Republican
Johnnie E. Robinson III – Republican
Robert Shaw Graham – Republican
Matthew Jette – Republican
Vernon B. Parker – Republican
John Munger – Republican
Steven H. Slaton – Republican
Jan Brewer – Republican
Buz Mills – Republican
Dean Martin – Republican
Benjamin Jankowski, Jr. – Democrat
Terry Goddard – Democrat

Secretary of State

Sam Wercinski – Democrat
Christopher Deschene – Democrat (filing does not designate office sought)

Attorney General

David Lujan – Democrat
Felecia Ann Rotellini – Democrat
Vince Rabago – Democrat
Tom Horne – Republican
Andrew Thomas – Republican
Tajudeen "Taj" Oladiran – Republican

Treasurer

Andrei Cherney – Democrat
Thayer Verschoor – Republican
Barbara Leff – Republican
Theodore "Ted" Carpenter – Republican

Superintendent of Public Instruction

Jason Williams – Democrat
Penny Kotterman – Democrat
John Huppenthal – Republican
Margaret Dugan – Republican
Mary Lou Taylor – Republican
Gary Nine – Republican
Beth Price – Republican

Corporation Commission

Jorge Luis Garcia – Democrat
Brenda Burns – Republican
Barry Wong – Republican

State Mine Inspector

Manuel Orozco Cruz – Democrat
Joe Hart – Republican

Arizona Legislature

LD  1 Steve Pierce – Republican – Senate
LD  1 Andrew Tobin – Republican – House
LD  1 Karen Fann – Republican – House
LD  1 Noel Campbell – Republican – House
LD  1 Lucy Mason – Republican – House (filing does not designate office sought)

LD  2 Albert Tom – Democrat – House
LD  2 Tom Chabin – Democrat – House

LD  3 Beth L. Weisser – Democrat -Senate
LD  3 Thomas Howell – Republican – Senate
LD  3 Doris Goodale – Republican – House
LD  3 Ray Cullison – Republican – House

LD  4 Sue Dolphin – Democrat – Senate
LD  4 Scott Bundgaard – Republican – Senate
LD  4 Shawn Kohner – Republican Senate
LD  4 Karina Guerrero – Democrat – House
LD  4 Judy Burges – Republican – House

LD  5 Sylvia Allen – Republican – Senate
LD  5 Bill Shumway – Democrat – House
LD  5 Brenda Barton – Republican – House
LD  5 Chester Crandell – Republican – House
LD  5 Bill Konopnicki – Republican – House (filing does not designate office sought)

LD  6 Patricia Flickner – Democrat – Senate
LD  6 Pamela Gorman – Republican – Senate
LD  6 Teri Conrad – Democrat – House
LD  6 Steven Henry Kaiser – Republican – House
LD  6 Nicholas Burr – Republican – House
LD  6 Carl Seel – Republican – House
LD  6 Leonard Clark – Independent – House

LD  7 Ray Barnes – Republican – Senate
LD  7 Nancy Barto – Republican – Senate
LD  7 Brad Buch – Republican – Senate
LD  7 Robert "Bob" Green – Republican – Senate
LD  7 Peter Joseph Royers – Democrat – House
LD  7 Michael Coskun – Republican – House
LD  7 Lawrence Coutts – Republican – House
LD  7 David Burnell Smith – Republican – House
LD  7 Kristen Burroughs – Republican – House
LD  7 Craig Barton – NP – House

LD  8 Michele Reagan – Republican – Senate
LD  8 Michelle Ugenti – Republican – Senate
LD  8 John Alan Kriekard – Democrat – House
LD  8 Walter John Williamson – NP – House
LD  8 Ray Mahoubi – Republican – House
LD  8 Eric Ulis – Republican – House
LD  8 Dennis Robbins – Republican – House
LD  8 James Rich – Republican – House
LD  8 David Paddison – Republican – House
LD  8 Michael Blaire – Republican – House
LD  8 Paul LoBianco – Republican – House
LD  8 John Kavanagh – Republican – House
LD  8 Paula Anne Pennypacker – Republican – House

LD  9 Sheri van Horsen – Democrat – Senate
LD  9 Robert Burns – Republican – Senate (filing does not designate office sought)
LD  9 James Andrew Clark – Republican – Senate
LD  9 Diane Douglas – Republican – House
LD  9 Debbie Lesko – Republican – House
LD  9 Richard "Rick" Gray – Republican – House
LD  9 Nathaniel Martin – Republican – House

LD10 Justin Johnson – Democrat – Senate
LD10 Linda Gray – Republican – Senate
LD10 Jackie Thrasher – Democrat – House
LD10 Aaron Jahneke – Democrat – House
LD10 James Weiers – Republican – House
LD10 Bill Adams – Republican – House
LD10 Doug Quelland – Republican – House

LD11 Rita Dickinson – Democrat – Senate
LD11 Rich Davis – Republican – Senate
LD11 Adam Driggs – Republican – Senate
LD11 John Allen – Republican – Senate
LD11 Eric Meyer – Democrat – House
LD11 Jon C. Altmann – Republican – House
LD11 Beverly Kraft – Republican – House
LD11 Dusti LeeAnn Morris – Republican – House
LD11 Kate McGee – Republican – House

LD12 Tyler Kissell – Democrat – Senate
LD12 Clark Silver – Republican – Senate
LD12 Angela Cotera – Democrat – House
LD12 Steve Montenegro – Republican – House

LD13 Steve Gallardo – Democrat – Senate
LD13 Martha Garcia – Democrat – Senate
LD13 Ana Tovar – Democrat – House
LD13 John Martin Quezada – Democrat – House

LD14 Robert Meza – Democrat – Senate
LD14 Chad Campbell – Democrat – House

LD15 Krysten Sinema – Democrat – Senate
LD15 Bob Thomas – Republican – Senate
LD15 Katie Hobbs – Democrat – House
LD15 Lela Alston – Democrat – House
LD15 Luis Alberto Garcia – Democrat – House
LD15 Ken Clark – Democrat – House
LD15 Bernice Condit – Republican – House

LD16 Victor Jett Contreras – Democrat – Senate
LD16 Leah Landrum – Democrat – Senate
LD16 Cristy Lopez – Democrat – House
LD16 Jimmie Munoz, Jr. – Democrat – House
LD16 Ruben Gallego – Democrat – House
LD16 Catherine H. Miranda – Democrat – House
LD16 Robert Michael Gular – Republican – House

LD17 David Schapira – Democrat – Senate
LD17 Wendy Rogers – Republican – Senate
LD17 Ed Ableser – Democrat – House
LD17 Ben Arredondo – Democrat – House
LD17 Augustus H Shaw IV – NP – House

LD18 Robert Hernandez McDonald, Jr. – Democrat – Senate
LD18 Michael Conway – Democrat – House
LD18 Cecil Ash – Republican – House
LD18 Steve Court – Republican – House

LD19 Rich Crandall – Republican – Senate
LD19 Kathryn "Kit" Filbey – Democrat – House
LD19 Scott Perkinson – Republican – House

LD20 Rae Waters – Democrat – House
LD20 Christopher Tolino – Republican – House
LD20 Bob Robson – Republican – House
LD20 Jeff Dial – Republican – House

LD21 Steve Yarbrough – Republican – Senate
LD21 Jeff Vance – Republican – House
LD21 Venessa Whitener – Republican – House
LD21 J.D. Mesnard – Republican – House
LD21 Tom Forese III – Republican – House
LD21 Scott Bergren – NP – House

LD22 Andy Biggs – Republican – Senate
LD22 Adam Armer – Republican – House
LD22 Steven Urie – Republican – House
LD22 Kelly Townsend – Republican – House
LD22 Paul Howell – Republican – House
LD22 Laurin Hendrix – Republican – House (filing does not designate office sought)

LD23 Rebecca Rios – Democrat – Senate
LD23 Matthew Byers – Republican – Senate
LD23 Barbara McGuire – Democrat – House
LD23 Ernest Bustamante – Democrat – House
LD23 Frank Pratt – Republican – House
LD23 John Fillmore – Republican – House

LD24 Amanda Aguirre – Democrat – Senate
LD24 Lynne Pancrazi – Democrat – House

LD25 Manuel Alvarez – Democrat – Senate
LD25 Patricia Fleming – Democrat – House
LD25 Kenneth "Ken" Davis – Democrat – House
LD25 David Stevens – Republican – House
LD25 Gurmeet 'George' Nerhan – Republican – House

LD26 Cheryl Cage – Democrat – Senate
LD26 Al Melvin – Republican – Senate
LD26 Nancy Young Wright – Democrat – House
LD26 Terri Lynn Proud – Republican – House
LD26 Vic Williams – Republican – House

LD27 Olivia Cajero Bedford – Democrat – Senate
LD27 Bob Gilby – Democrat – House
LD27 Sami Hamed – Democrat – House
LD27 Dustin Curtis Cox – Democrat – House
LD27 John Martin Bernal – Democrat – House
LD27 Robert Compton – Republican – House
LD27 Gene Chewning – Independent – House

LD28 Ted Prezelski – Democrat – House
LD28 Ted Downing – Democrat – House (filing does not designate office sought)
LD28 Mohur Mona Sidhwa – Democrat – House
LD28 Tim Sultan – Democrat – House
LD28 Steve Farley - Democrat – House
LD28 Ken Smalley – Republican – House

LD29 Matt Heinz – Democrat – House
LD29 Daniel Patterson – Democrat – House
LD29 Pat Kilburn – Republican – House

LD30 Todd Camenisch – Democrat – Senate
LD30 Frank Antenori – Republican – House Senate
LD30 Andrea Dalessandro – Democrat – House
LD30 David Gowan – Republican – House

Rep. David Bradley, currently LD 28 House, filed a committee but is termed out in 2010. He reportedly will be working for the Terry Goddard campaign. There is a rumor circulating that Bradley may step down early, shaking up the LD 28 House race by allowing the Pima County Board of Supervisors to select his replacement before the primary.

NB: Revised and updated 1.19.2010.