Senators elected from Tucson area may be key votes in next AZ Legislature Justine Wadsack - Mike Nickerson HEAD TOPICS

Senators elected from Tucson area may be key votes in next AZ Legislature

10/22/2022 9:02:00 PM

Voters in Districts 17 18 and 21 must choose from Arizona Senate candidates who disagree on almost every election issue

Justine Wadsack Mike Nickerson

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Arizona Daily Star

Voters in Districts 17 18 and 21 must choose from Arizona Senate candidates who disagree on almost every election issue Voters in Districts 17 18 and 21 must choose from Arizona Senate candidates who disagree on almost every election issue The general election is Nov. 8. Early voting is underway.Wadsack, 48, who describes herself as a"Pro Trump America First conservative" declined to be interviewed for this story, claiming the Arizona Daily Star is biased against her because it has published comments from those critical of her candidacy. She also declined to take part in a debate hosted by the Star's editorial department. Wadsack has proposed defunding the child safety agency she clashed with and also wants to defund Planned Parenthood and the U.S. Department of Education. She has pledged to “stop all stages of abortion” and opposes gun safety measures such as red flag laws. She supports using public funds for private school vouchers and last year took part in storming a Vail school board meeting to protest mask requirements for students during the pandemic. Read more:
Arizona Daily Star » GOP’s Budd pulls ahead in N.C. Senate showdown, Beasley enlists Dave Matthews to energize Dem voters Bernie Sanders' plan to energize voters could cost Democrats the Senate Pa. Senate hopeful John Fetterman among the candidates linking with celebrities to reach voters Officials probe alleged voter intimidation at Mesa ballot drop box

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Nada Rudan is most relaxed when painting, a skill she discovered at the age of 87 and culminating this summer in an exhibition of her artwork - to mark her 100th birthday. Read more >> GOP’s Budd pulls ahead in N.C. Senate showdown, Beasley enlists Dave Matthews to energize Dem votersRepublican bigwigs kicked off early voting in North Carolina on Thursday by stumping for Senate candidate Rep. Ted Budd, hoping to drive momentum as a series of polls show GOP candidates are making inroads due to President Biden’s lagging approval numbers. Bernie Sanders' plan to energize voters could cost Democrats the SenateDemocratic candidates might need Sanders to rally young voters in key races, but the Vermont senator's help will come at the risk of losing moderate voters. Lol Nah, the democrats have already done that Pa. Senate hopeful John Fetterman among the candidates linking with celebrities to reach votersCandidates in high-profile races nationwide are using celebrity appearances and endorsements as they try to reach voters. In Pennsylvania, Senate candidate John Fetterman hosted “Ant Man” star Paul Rudd this week, and musician Dave Matthews will play at a Fetterman rally in Pittsburgh next week Fetterwoman headed for an historic loss. 'Shotgun' John Fetterman is as phony as his 'yinz' and 'youse'. TALKS pro-union - NEVER in a union TALKS pro-blue collar labor - NEVER had labor job TALKS raising minimum wage - sponged off WEALTHY parents most of his adult life 1/3 Phony 'Shotgun' John Fetterman says Dr. Oz is Hollywood. A typical DISHONEST, hypocritical Democrat has no problem having racist jimmykimmel, unfunny sethmeyers, Paul Rudd, and other celebrities shill for him. Now, that's Hollywood. Another example of his fake common man scam. Officials probe alleged voter intimidation at Mesa ballot drop boxTwo voters told the Arizona Secretary of State’s Office that when they went to drop off ballots Monday, a group “hanging out near the ballot drop box” filmed and followed them. Nothing illegal. Who has something to hide? CANDIDATE SPOTLIGHT: Arizona Democrat candidate for governor Katie Hobbs talks abortion, inflationArizona gubernatorial candidate Katie Hobbs, speaks with Fox News Digital on the issues that matter most to voters leading up to the 2022 midterm elections Chicken Hobbs For Republicans, winning Hispanic voters will be a bigger fight than South TexasNearly half of Hispanic Texans live in the state’s five largest counties, a voting bloc Democrats cannot afford to lose as they struggle to compete in the state’s vast rural areas. LOL, but apparently everywhere else, they don’t seem to have a problem Not all racists are republicans but ALL republicans are racists. Blacks or Hispanics who vote for them do themselves serious harm. It’s over. Texas is Safe Red. Carol Ann Alaimo Three Arizona Senate seats are up for grabs in the Tucson area this year and voters face stark choices over who will best represent them on issues ranging from abortion rights to gun safety to the fight against climate change.Follow Us.Democrats lose women voters to GOP as abortion focus fades However, Barnes is 2.Published: Oct. With the Senate almost evenly split between Republicans and Democrats at last count, the winners of any one of these races could end up as a deciding vote on new state laws over the next two years. All six candidates agree on one thing: the need to address the state's water crisis. Beyond that, they have little in common. "It's a little surprising that the lieutenant governor—as a younger, more charismatic candidate—that he hasn't been doing a better job of bringing [young voters] in," Powell told Newsweek . The general election is Nov. 8. Sen. Early voting is underway. So, it might be worth the cost of potentially alienating moderate voters to get the extra mobilization. District 17A Tucson realtor favored by fans of the QAnon conspiracy is running against a retired United Methodist pastor in the new district that covers Marana, Oro Valley, Rita Ranch, Vail, SaddleBrooke and part of southern Pinal County. People are also reading… MAGA Republican Justine Wadsack is making her second try for a senate seat after losing in the 2020 election in a different voting district. Her Democratic opponent Mike Nickerson is a former Republican who has not run for public office before. Why Campaigning With Sanders Could Backfire While Sanders' tour could be what pushes Democratic candidates over the finish line, it could also be what costs them the election. Wadsack, 48, who describes herself as a"Pro Trump America First conservative" declined to be interviewed for this story, claiming the Arizona Daily Star is biased against her because it has published comments from those critical of her candidacy. “Who I’m really here to see is Lin-Manuel Miranda, because I’m a really big fan of his,” said Camilla Estrada, of Atlanta, who described herself as liberal and said she plans to vote for Warnock. She also declined to take part in a debate hosted by the Star's editorial department. But her views are documented on her past and current election websites and at a recent Arizona Clean Elections debate, where Wadsack described herself as a"fighter” motivated by a 2016 run-in with state child protection authorities. Republicans would likely seize on an opportunity to paint their opponents as progressive. The Arizona Department of Child Safety “came to my household and tried to take my kids,” said Wadsack, who did not elaborate except to say it was in retaliation because she questioned the amount of respite care one of her children, who has disabilities, was supposed to receive. The department declined comment on her allegations. Wadsack has proposed defunding the child safety agency she clashed with and also wants to defund Planned Parenthood and the U. "Our two senators, Tammy Baldwin and Ron Johsnon, are sort of at ideological extremes," she said. Georgia Democrats spent the first week of the state’s 19-day early voting period in frantic activity, as they implore supporters to vote in advance. S. Department of Education. She has pledged to “stop all stages of abortion” and opposes gun safety measures such as red flag laws." Wisconsin has historically been a swing state. She supports using public funds for private school vouchers and last year took part in storming a Vail school board meeting to protest mask requirements for students during the pandemic. Her endorsers include a local Republican group called Tucson Trump MAGA, which repeatedly posted QAnon content on its Facebook page last year. When Walker interacts with voters, fans line up to implore him to sign jerseys and even commemorative soda bottles from the Bulldogs’ 1980 national championship. Wadsack posted a popular QAnon slogan on her own Twitter account twice in 2020 but recently disavowed QAnon as"crap" in an interview with the Arizona Republic.77 percent. Nickerson, 72, a Democrat who once interned for a Republican congressman in Washington, D.C., he said in a reader chat with the Star he's running because Arizona politics has become"poisoned by a lack of integrity" and by the influence of money and extreme partisanship. "It's certainly possible that this will hurt any effort for Barnes to be perceived as moderate, but there may be other objectives and strategies in play," she said. He and Wadsack disagree on almost every issue. In Atlanta, Miranda noted that he had a history of supporting Warnock, mentioning an online fundraiser that the original cast of “Hamilton” held for Warnock and fellow Democrat Jon Ossoff in 2020, as the two were pushing toward January 2021 runoff victories that gave Democrats control of the Senate. He supports increased funding for public schools and opposes private school vouchers. A longtime gun owner, he supports firearms safety measures such as tighter background checks and safe storage laws. "There's this cost-benefit calculation that campaigns always have to make: the blowback and potentially hurting yourself with moderate voters in order to get the energetic mobilization from the more progressive voters," Powell said. Having counseled many women with troubled or unwanted pregnancies as a pastor, Nickerson said he supports the right to abortion. Nickerson said while he holds strong views, he's a problem-solver who believes"politics is about compromise. When you bring people together you find the best solution for the whole group, not just one group. “Whether or not it goes from somebody’s brain having read it to ‘Now I care about the race,” that’s something that I think is very difficult to document,” Harvey said. " District 18A retired U.S. Defense Department employee and a professor of natural resources law at the University of Arizona are competing in the district that includes the Catalina Foothills, Casas Adobes and a swath of Tucson north of Broadway, east of Country Club Road and west of Camino Seco. Republican Stan Caine, 59, is a first-time candidate, as is his opponent, Priya Sundareshan, 37. Caine's campaign website says he spent 33 years with DOD and retired as head of quality for the U. Pennsylvania Democratic Senate candidate John Fetterman hosted a fundraiser with “Ant Man” star Paul Rudd this week, and musician Dave Matthews will play at a Fetterman rally in Pittsburgh next week. S. Navy's Tomahawk missile system, a job that sharpened his problem-solving skills. He now works as a substitute teacher. Caine owns firearms and opposes restrictions on law-abiding gun owners, his website said. He supports private school vouchers and tax breaks for teachers who buy school supplies with their own money.” In Nevada, Republican candidate for governor Joe Lombardo was endorsed Thursday by Dana White, the president of UFC, hailing Lombardo’s law enforcement credentials. He also favors the completion of a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border and a new law to force"able-bodied" voters to cast votes in person instead of by mail. In a reader chat hosted by the Star, Caine said women who fail to use birth control should not be able to have abortions"out of convenience." The procedure should be limited to the first 15 weeks of pregnancy, though rare exceptions may be warranted if the mother's life is in danger, he said. Kemp will continue to talk to hardworking Georgians about his record of economic success and plan to build a safer, stronger Georgia. Sundareshan, who recently bore her second child, said protecting abortion access at the state level is a critical priority after federal protections recently were struck down by the U.S. Supreme Court. Her website calls for"more science-based decision making in politics"; new gun laws such as safety training and safe storage; and measures to make voting easier such as restoring and improving the permanent early voter list. She opposes using public funds for private school vouchers.” If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation. Her other top concerns include global warming and the state’s dwindling water supply and increased public funding for green energy. Sundareshan joined the UA law school in 2019 and before that was an attorney with the national Environmental Defense Fund in Washington. D.C. District 21A longtime state lawmaker is running against a political novice in the far-flung district that includes western Pima County, about half of Santa Cruz county and the city of Bisbee in Cochise County. Democrat Rosanna Gabaldón has served in the Legislature since 2013, first in the House, and now seeks a second term in the senate. Her opponent, Jim Cleveland, won the Republican nomination by default as a write-in candidate when a second write-in candidate quit the primary race. Galbadón, 57, of Sahuarita, supports unfettered access to abortion. Politicians"are not physicians. We should not be making those decisions," she said in a recent Arizona Clean Elections debate. She opposes private school vouchers and favors increased funding for the public education system, roads and infrastructure and addiction treatment. Cleveland, 60, of Bisbee, is a retired chief petty officer who spent four years in the U.S. Navy and 18 in the naval reserve. He does not have a campaign website, having only taken in about $1,400 in donations, but described his views to the Star in a candidate questionnaire. His top priority is stemming"the epidemic of drugs flooding our streets and the crime it creates," he said. He favors publicly-funded addiction treatment centers, full funding for law enforcement and border protection. In the area of education, Cleveland supports private school vouchers and supports banning transgender female students born biological males from taking part in girls sports. In the recent Arizona Clean Elections debate, Cleveland said he opposes abortion except when a mother's life is threatened, but is willing to support legislation that includes exceptions for rape and incest victims. Uncontested districtsVoters in two other Tucson area districts already know who their next state senators are because no other candidates signed up to run for the jobs. Republican David Gowan of Sierra Vista will continue to represent District 19 and Democrat Sally Gonzales will occupy the Senate seat in District 20. Both are unopposed in the general election. Contact reporter Carol Ann Alaimo at 573-4138 or [email protected]. On Twitter: @AZStarConsumer Early QAnon supporter QAnon, a conspiracy movement that views Democrats as satanic cannibals who sexually abuse children was first linked to Arizona Senate candidate Justine Wadsack in 2020 when Arizona Daily Star columnist Tim Steller noticed Wadsack using a popular QAnon slogan on social media. The slogan, #WWG1WGA, ("Where We Go One We Go All) appeared three times on Wadsack's Twitter account that year. Wadsack, who is running as a MAGA Republican in District 17, declined to be interviewed by the Star but recently told the Arizona Republic she doesn't support QAnon and thinks it is"crap." She said she thought the slogan was meant to promote"unity" in her party but later realized, “Oh, this isn't a Republican Party. This is some faction that I don't want anything to do with. And I've been denouncing it since Day One,” she said. A Republican group that calls itself Tucson Trump MAGA, which repeatedly posted QAnon content on its social media sites last year, is endorsing Wadsack's candidacy in the upcoming election Tucson Trump MAGA also promoting two other candidates in District 17 this election: Cory McGarr and Rachel Jones, who both are running for seats in the Arizona House. Tags Respond: Write a letter to the editor Write a guest opinion Subscribe to stay connected to Tucson. A subscription helps you access more of the local stories that keep you connected to the community. Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox! Carol Ann Alaimo Reporter Carol Ann has been with the Star since 1999, but has been an investigative reporter for more than 30 years. She's won numerous awards in the U. S. and Canada. In 2003, she was a war correspondent in Iraq and was a Knight-Wallace Fellow in Michigan in 2008. .