Wake-Up Call: Thursday, August 14, 2008

With the PolitickerAZ.com Wake-Up Call e-mailed to your inbox, phone, Blackberry or PDA first thing in the morning, you can get a rundown of Arizona's top political headlines. Sign up to get the Wake-Up Call delivered every morning.

With the PolitickerAZ.com Wake-Up Call e-mailed to your inbox, phone, Blackberry or PDA first thing in the morning, you can get a rundown of Arizona's top political headlines. Sign up to get the Wake-Up Call delivered every morning.

Arizona is one of most electorally competitive states this fall

Nearly half of the state's eight congressional districts are listed as being among the most competitive in the country this fall, a new Politicker.com analysis shows.

The Pindell Report, which launched today, shows that only much larger states like Pennsylvania, New York, Illinois and Florida have more competitive House elections. Even California just has two races that are competitive. (PolitickerAZ.com, Staff)

Link: http://www.politickeraz.com/editoraz/1859/arizona-one-most-electorally-c...

Silence on Obama's Arizona plans

There is a wall of silence surrounding potential plans by the Barack Obama campaign to extend its reach into Arizona, which state Democrats have insisted will happen eventually but which so far hasn't materialized. (PolitickerAZ.com, Evan Brown)

Link: http://www.politickeraz.com/evanbrown/1873/silence-obamas-arizona-plans

4 Republicans competing in District 18 primary race

Voters in Mesa’s Legislative District 18 will have four new faces to consider before casting their vote in the Sept. 2 Republican primary race for the Arizona House of Representatives. (East Valley Tribune, Sonu Munshi)

Link: http://www.eastvalleytribune.com/story/123061

Cash pours in, raising stakes for county attorney race

More than half-a-million dollars has poured into the campaign war chests of Maricopa County Attorney Andrew Thomas and his two Democratic opponents, making the race for the county's top prosecutor job likely the most expensive ever. (Arizona Republic, Yvonne Wingett)

Link: http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/2008/08/14/20080814bigmoney0814.h...

Mesa’s Nativio calls self 'pro-family’ Democrat

Pssst. There's a third candidate running in the District 18 state Senate race. That's right - Russell Pearce and Kevin Gibbons may have hogged the headlines of late over which candidate better represents Republican party values. But once that race produces a result in the Sept. 2 primary, the winner will have another opponent to contend with - 30-year-old Democrat Judah Nativio. (East Valley Tribune, Sonu Munshi)

Link: http://www.eastvalleytribune.com/story/123057

Napolitano to speak at Dem Convention as Hillary warm-up

PHOENIX — Gov. Janet Napolitano has been tapped to be a "featured speaker" at the Democratic National Convention in Denver later this month.

But the odds of Napolitano grabbing the prime-time spotlight are long. Instead, the governor will be the warm-up act for another female politician whose vice presidential chatter is fading — Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, who is being billed as the "headliner." (Daily Star, Howard Fischer)

Link: http://www.azstarnet.com/sn/politics/252749.php

Dist. 29 race starts getting personal

In politics, particularly, it's best not to throw stones in glass houses.

For the most part, the seven candidates in the District 29 Democratic primary have kept the race a friendly affair. But one candidate, former Border Patrol agent Ephraim Cruz, has been particularly critical of some of his counterparts' legal affairs. (Daily Star, Josh Brodesky)

Link: http://www.azstarnet.com/sn/politics/252743.php

Tax-hike backers sue to get plan on ballot

PHOENIX — Backers of what could be the largest tax hike in state history filed suit Wednesday to put their proposal back on the November ballot.

Some of the petitions turned in to the Secretary of State's Office do not technically comply with all of the legal requirements for initiatives, attorney Charles Blanchard acknowledged in paperwork filed in Maricopa County Superior Court. But he said the mistakes are technical. (Daily Star, Howard Fischer)

Link: http://www.azstarnet.com/sn/politics/252735.php

Personal attacks vs. Pearce won't work: Gov.

PHOENIX — Democratic Gov. Janet Napolitano has some advice for those hoping to defeat Republican Russell Pearce's state Senate bid: Stay away from personal attacks.

Napolitano was asked at her regular Wednesday news conference about two controversial anti-Pearce mailers sent to homes in west Mesa by a group calling itself Mesa Deserves Better. (Daily Star, Howard Fischer)

Link: http://www.azstarnet.com/sn/politics/252744.php

8 running for Marana school board

The Marana Unified School District has more candidates running for seats on its school board than any other Pima County school district.

Eight people will compete for three open seats in the county's largest school board race, which will be decided on Nov. 4. (Daily Star, Andrea Rivera)

Link: http://www.azstarnet.com/sn/metro/252465.php

Napolitano says Obama hasn't vetted her for VP

PHOENIX — Arizona Gov. Janet Napolitano says Barack Obama's campaign has not requested any personal or professional information from her to evaluate her as a vice presidential candidate.

Napolitano had been mentioned earlier this year by some as a potential vice presidential pick. (Tucson Citizen, AP)

Link: http://www.tucsoncitizen.com/ss/local/93616.php

Gov. believes transportation plan will make ballot

PHOENIX - Gov. Janet Napolitano says she believes Arizona voters will get to decide in November whether to raise the state sales tax by a penny to pay for a $42 billion transportation plan. (East Valley Tribune, AP)

Link: http://www.eastvalleytribune.com/story/123000

Republicans still pushing for voucher program

PHOENIX - Republicans lawmakers trying to restore a voucher program that covers private-school tuition for some disabled and foster students directed the state schools chief to shift money in the public school budget to pay for the $5 million program. (Tucson Citizen, AP)

Link: http://www.tucsoncitizen.com/ss/arizona/93606.php

Surprise councilman might accept AG report to end controversy

Despite his ongoing reservations, Surprise Councilman Joe Johnson said he is considering accepting the findings of a state Attorney General's Office investigation in order to put the controversy behind the city. (Arizona Republic, Tony Lombardo)

Link: http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/2008/08/13/20080813gl-nwvjohnson0...

With the PolitickerAZ.com Wake-Up Call e-mailed to your inbox, phone, Blackberry or PDA first thing in the morning, you can get a rundown of Arizona's top political headlines. Sign up to get the Wake-Up Call delivered every morning.