Tom Horne

Tom Horne, Arizona superintendent of public instruction and a prospective candidate for state attorney general, said told PolitickerAZ.com he does not think it likely he will be facing Maricopa County Attorney Andrew Thomas in the Republican primary for AG.

"Andy was just elected to a four year term as county attorney," said Horne. "In order to run for another office he would have to resign shortly after being elected. The board of supervisors would appoint a new county attorney."

Horne was responding to comments made Monday by Jason Rose, whose firm managed Thomas's re-election campaign. Rose touted Thomas as an unbeatable AG candidate, thought Thomas himself hasn't yet said whether or not he is mulling a run.

Jason Rose, partner in the Rose & Allyn PR firm which managed Maricopa County Attorney Andrew Thomas's re-election campaign, told PolitickerAZ.com Monday he thinks Thomas will run for Arizona attorney general in 2010.

"I personally expect Andrew Thomas will run," said Rose. He also said he thinks Thomas will win.

Thomas, if he ran, would already be entering a Republican primary to appear on the ballot. Tom Horne, state superintendent of public instruction, filed papers Monday to form an exploratory committee to seek the same office.

With Jan Brewer in position to run for re-election now that Governor Janet Napolitano will be stepping aside, Superintendent of Public Institutions Tom Horne has decided he will seek the Attorney General office in 2010. Horne is expected to file papers today to set up an exploratory committee.  Horne will likely face a primary challenge. One possible candidate is Maricopa County Attorney Andrew Thomas.

Rob Haney is out and Steve Tully is in as chairman of the Legislative District 11 Republican Committee, after a tempestuous meeting Tuesday night that saw passions flare and intra-party division on display.

Prominent figures in the Arizona Republican Party, past and present, turned up alongside LD11 precinct committeemen and curious rank-and-file Republicans from outside the district for a meeting that promised to be memorable and did not disappoint. Among those on hand Tuesday night were former Gov. Jane Hull, state Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Horne, former legislator and Arizona Corporation Commissioner Barry Wong, a number of sitting and former state legislators and U.S. Rep. John Shadegg (R-Phoenix). Maricopa County Recorder Helen Purcell was there with ballot counting machines from the county to handle the votes.

Seen as more than a vote on the 11th district's leadership, the meeting was in spirit and actuality a battle between competing ideologies within the Republican Party as a whole. One Republican activist from outside the district who showed up to witness the proceedings told PolitickerAZ.com, "I came to see the bloodbath."

Ariz. Attorney General Terry GoddardArizona small business owners overwhelmingly favor a Democrat to replace Gov. Janet Napolitano, according to the Silver State Bank/Arizona Small Business Association/O'Neil Associates Arizona Economic Indicators Monitor.

The poll, conducted among the ASBA's 3,000 members, found that 43 percent of respondents supported Arizona Attorney General Terry Goddard in the hypothetical race. Phoenix Mayor Phil Gordon came in second with 21 percent.

Rounding out the list were U.S. Transportation Secretary Mary Peters (10 percent), Tempe Mayor Hugh Hallman (8 percent), Arizona Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Horne (8 percent), state Treasurer Dean Martin (7 percent) and Maricopa County Attorney Andrew Thomas (5 percent).

This week's Arizona Winners & Losers are now posted.

A firestorm of controversy was touched off when Rep. Russell Pearce (R-Mesa) and the House Appropriations Committee transformed a homeland security bill, SB1108, into one that would ban teaching in a manner that is contrary to "American values" and "Western civilization."

Though aimed specifically at a Raza Studies program in the Tucson Unified School District, criticism arose claiming the bill was too broad and raised troubling First Amendment issues. Tom Horne, Arizona Superintendent of Public Instruction, who would be in charge of enforcing the law, agrees. So, apparently, does Russell Pearce.

A bill that would put the Roosevelt School District under the control of the Arizona Department of Education is advancing in the House, and raising the stakes of the showdown between State Schools Superintendent Tom Horne and foes of the takeover plan.  read more »