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Marcia Barlow: Families
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NEWS & ANALYSIS James vs. Pullen for Arizona GOP Chair
By Dennis Durband, Editor U.S. Senator John McCain is never around to get mud splattered on his shoes. But the division he sows continues to soil the unity in the Arizona Republican Party. It’s been that way in recent years and may only intensify as he makes his final, all-out assault on the White House in the next several months. McCain was spurned in an attempt last year to take control of Legislative District 11 in Phoenix, the senator’s home district. He’s been at “war” with grassroots, conservative Republicans for much of the time George W. Bush has been president. Conservatives use resolutions to deny McCain votes of confidence; he responds by politically maneuvering to remove the conservatives from positions of authority. The next battle stage in this conflict centers on the election of the next chairman of the Arizona Republican Party. Lisa James is the establishment and McCain favorite. There is much division over this election, and many grassroots conservatives are backing Randy Pullen for chairman. The election will take place Jan. 27 during the annual state Republican convention in Phoenix. Matt Salmon has served as state chairman the past two years, but he is not seeking re-election. Salmon has been mentioned as a possible candidate for Congress against freshman Harry Mitchell in 2008. The AZ GOP chairmanship has been a revolving door for several years. Few serve in that capacity for more than a single two-year term. If James wins the post later this month, she could be in line for a position within a McCain presidential administration. On paper, the AZ GOP has a huge registered voter advantage over the Democrats – an advantage that is being continually wasted. There may be a number of problems involved: possibly voter lists that are outdated, poor performance by precinct committeemen, poor leadership by the state party, ineffective campaign and advertising techniques, candidate problems, financing problems, infiltration by Democrats and disloyalty by liberal Republicans. At any rate, the Arizona Republican Party is under performing. Republicans lost two congressional seats and a handful of legislative seats in 2006, in addition to embarrassing losses in the governor and attorney general races. Furthermore, the AZ GOP executive director’s position has been a revolving door and a source of instability. In addition, a rift between grassroots Republicans and party leaders, including Salmon and Cong. John Shadegg, has widened in recent years. Party leadership sat on its hands while grassroots conservatives decried the border invasion. In 2005, grassroots leaders repeatedly passed resolutions of disgust with McCain. Shadegg and Salmon tried to quell that opposition. McCain went to Mesa Community College to shore up support, and was met by fierce opposition. Whomever succeeds Salmon will have a tough job ahead of them. Who is Lisa James? James is currently secretary-treasurer of the Gordon C. James Public Relations firm, a company she and her husband own. She was executive director of President Bush's 2004 reelection effort for the State of Arizona. James has been endorsed by numerous pro-abortion RINOs, WISH List members and a few ardent conservatives. James led the efforts in 2004 to qualify a ballot initiative calling for an end to the Clean Elections Commission. A judicial activist threw it off the ballot, and no one has challenged the socialistic system since. Last year, James worked on the re-election campaigns of U.S. Sen. Jon Kyl and congressmen Rick Renzi and J.D. Hayworth. She has a lot of political experience in Illinois and Arizona, having worked on many campaigns. Opponents may challenge the validity of James’ candidacy. In order to run for state chairman, candidates must be elected state delegates. James finished 82nd in her home Legislative District 8, and only the first 72 qualified. Another district then named James a delegate, circumventing the rules. James has formed an ambitious plan to rejuvenate a vastly underperforming Arizona Republican Party. More than a million Arizonans are registered to vote, but the last two gubernatorial candidates – Salmon in 2002 and Len Munsil in 2006 – drew only about half that number of votes each in their failed attempts against liberal Democrat Janet Napolitano. Many disloyal Republicans voted for Napolitano. James’ plan can be read as an organizational plan for McCain’s White House run. James is viewed by some as a state front person for McCain’s presidential run and as the favorite of party elite. Though Cong. Trent Franks has already endorsed Cong. Duncan Hunter (California) as a presidential candidate, McCain is trying desperately to win support at home and prevent further support erosion. James’ involvement in “Victory 2006” benefited Sen. Kyl to the exclusion of other Republican candidates. James boasts about turning out 60.5 percent of Republican voters in the 2006 midterm election and claims she will do even better in 2008. Democrats, especially Napolitano, overperformed among “Republican” voters in Arizona last fall, and that is the 800-pound elephant in the GOP living room that must be addressed. In corporate America, disloyalty is not tolerated. In the Republican Party, it is treated with yawns. Who is Randy Pullen? Pullen ran unsuccessfully for mayor of Phoenix in 2002. In 2004, he defeated 12-year incumbent RINO Mike Hellon in an extremely close election for Arizona’s National Republican Committeeman. Pullen began volunteering for the Barry Goldwater presidential campaign in 1964, at the age of 15. He has served the party at every level -- from precinct committeeman, to precinct captain, state committeeman and member at large for the Maricopa County Executive Guidance Committee, in addition to Republican National Committeeman. In 2004, Pullen served as Chairman of "Yes on Prop 200, Protect Arizona Now." These acts of service have made Pullen popular with grassroots conservatives. He received little party support in his mayoral run, and he overcame the party establishment in ousting Hellon. Pullen raised hundreds of thousand of dollars to get Protect Arizona Now on the ballot and hundreds of thousands more to assure a decisive victory. “I continue to lead the fight in federal and state courts to have Prop 200 fully implemented,” he said. As National Committeeman, Pullen introduced a resolution earlier this year at the RNC calling for the immediate securing of the nation's borders by all means available, as well as the enforcement of existing immigration laws in the workplace. The resolution passed unanimously last August. “We have accomplished much at the party in the past two election cycles,” Pullen said. “We have greatly increased our volunteer efforts at all levels. We have improved our information technology and have developed a micro-targeting program. We have increased our voter contact programs, our early balloting program, and our Get-Out-The-Vote effort. I believe our efforts are on the cutting edge of election management and technology. Our efforts have been tested and proven and we are at the tip of developing what would be referred to in the business sector as an integrated and comprehensive program. But work remains.” The executive guidance committee of the Maricopa County Republican Party, which has been at odds with McCain, recently endorsed Pullen for state chairman. Pullen has also been endorsed by numerous current and former legislators, county and district party officials, precinct committeemen and others. Dealing with specifics, Pullen aims to recapture the state’s two congressional seats and seven legislative seats lost in 2006. He is not focused on McCain’s presidential aspirations. McCain refused to support the Protect Arizona Now initiative and actually favors amnesty for illegal aliens. Pullen said: “A high-tech approach to elections can only be successful if our volunteer efforts continue to grow. We must improve our training efforts around the state and motivate our Precinct Committeemen to work and win. That's why I am proud to stand with the grassroots of our party as we embark upon a new political journey over the next two years. Political success isn't just about computerized lists and demographic modeling, but about our grassroots volunteers working with our candidates and communicating with our fellow Arizonans a vision for how our shared future can be brighter, our streets safer, our schools better, our taxes lower and our liberties more secure.” Home |News |State Briefs |Editorials|Letters |Key Legislation |Contact Us |
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