MARICOPA COUNTY REPUBLICAN COMMITTEE
10050 W. Bell Road, Suite 49, Sun City West, AZ 85351
623-977-4532 mcrchairman@AOL.com
Tom Husband, Chairman Diane Ortiz-Parsons, First Vice-chair
Jeff Greenspan, Second Vice-chair
Debbie Lesko, Secretary Chuck Hammerslag, Treasurer
PRESS RELEASE
For immediate release July 4 2008
Frosty Taylor, Communications/PR
MCRC Endorses Rep. Russell Pearce for State Senate
The Maricopa County Republican Committee
(MCRC) has endorsed current State Representative Russell Pearce in his
primary contest for the vacant State Senate seat in Legislative District
18. The endorsement was voted upon Thursday evening (July 3rd)
during the regular MCRC Executive Guidance Committee (EGC) meeting held at
GOP headquarters in Phoenix.
While not without precedence, the
endorsement of a candidate in a primary by the MCRC is very rare.
The last time it occurred was in the 2004 LD20 State Senate contest
between John Huppenthal and Slade Mead. According to MCRC Chairman
Tom Husband, like the 2004 endorsement, this decision was not the result
of one single thing, but an accumulation of many things.
"It is
hard to imagine a better and more principled legislator than Russell
Pearce" said Husband, who added "What is going on in LD18 is an attempt by
fringe open-border and amnesty advocates to exact revenge on Rep. Pearce
for his brave stands on border security and preserving the rule of law."
Proponents providing major funding to Pearce's opponent, Kevin
Gibbons, are often related to agricultural, fast food, and homebuilding
businesses. Many are also major donors to the perversely named "Stop
Illegal Hiring" initiative that would gut Arizona's employer sanctions
law. Another major factor in the MCRC's decision was the
high-profile support Gibbons is receiving from Democrat legislators and
party leaders, including Yuma State Representative Lynne Pancrazi and 2006
U.S. Senate candidate and Democrat party boss Jim Pedersen.
As one
"Yes" vote observed during the discussion of the endorsement, "The
Democrats already have one candidate in the general election. They
don't deserve to have two shots at the seat."
The MCRC endorsement
allows the Maricopa County Republican Committee to use its resources and
large grassroots organizations to get involved on Pearce's behalf.
Several district chairmen involved in the endorsement have indicated
that they will be lining up volunteers to phone bank and door knock on
Pearce's behalf.
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Media contact:
Tony Reinhard
Executive Director,
Maricopa GOP
Cell: 602-503-0291