Russell Pearce, one of the most influential politicians of the nation state and a powerful voice on illegal immigration, was about to lose his seat in the Senate in the unprecedented recall election Tuesday.
Pearce seemed resigned to defeat, saying that "if you are recalling is the price for keeping promises, so be it."
If the total votes have, Pearce became the first sitting President of the Senate of the nation and the first legislator from Arizona never lost a recall election. He should resign immediately once the results become official.
The results were not official Tuesday night, and election officials said they still had to have thousands of early ballots and provisional, that is, the results may not be known for more than a week.
However, Lewis's supporters were exuberant Tuesday night. More than 300 people gathered at the home of John Wright Lewis supported and applauded with full force of the votes were posted on the website of Maricopa County Elections.
"We took a historic shift," said Lewis. Saying that his campaign took the high ground, Lewis told the crowd that his victory brings "a fresh voice to Mesa and polite politics."
"We now have a chance to heal the breach in the table," he added.
In the field of Pearce, the mood was somber.
"It looks like the numbers are going in this direction to me, and I'm OK with that," said Pearce. "I'm thankful for friends, families and the patriots who have been with me."
Early in the evening, Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio, a longtime ally of Pearce, said he believes that the withdrawal would mean the end of Pearce's political career. "He's a fighter," said Arpaio. "If he loses, there's no choice next year."
100,000 signatures
Critics Pearce, gathered over 10,000 signatures to force the withdrawal, which was seen as a referendum on whether Pearce tough stance on immigration is still resonated with the 71,000 registered voters in the western district of Table 18.
Most blue-collar conservative district includes downtown Mesa and Arizona first Mormon temple, but also has the poorest neighborhoods of Mesa and lowest performing schools.
Many residents, both white and Latino, have irritated for years by the effects of immigration and the federal government's inability to deal with it, and many of the first to applaud the sponsorship of Pearce's controversial immigration law Senate Bill 1070.
Critics, however, began to express disappointment with the increase of hard-line stance Pearce, and some supporters began to feel conflicted when the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints began to advocate a more humane approach moderate on the issue of immigration.
In Lewis, a man they would like Pearce is white, conservative and Mormon, but he repeatedly contrasted himself with Pearce saying that his vision of leadership is to bring all sides together to find solutions, rather than rule by decree.
In virtually all other issues, Pearce and Lewis agreed, and in their only debate last month, echoed each other's positions and used other examples to illustrate his points.
During his campaign, Lewis, a senior public school and former accountant, promised to take the road, a promise which largely managed to keep despite what he calls dirty tricks campaign by supporters employees Pearce.
A non-engagement gifts
Lewis also agreed not to accept gifts or special favors, including lobbyists, a reference to the fact that critics skewered Pearce for accepting nearly $ 40,000 in free trips, hotel stays, meals and tickets to the college football game of the Fiesta Bowl.
Bruce Merrill, a pollster and political senior scientist and professor emeritus at Arizona State University, said most people thought the race would be close, but Lewis' momentum seemed to be getting a little more "to the end.
"If Lewis keeps and win this ... Send a message not only to people in Arizona, but outside of Arizona that the whole world is not very loud right person against illegal immigration," said late Tuesday.
On Tuesday, Arky Glen and Louise left a polling center table and discuss the support of Pearce.
"I saw no reason not to vote for him," said Glen Arky, 75, an aircraft mechanic semi-retired.
Arky said his support never wavered Pearce after reading the news Pearce connections to the scandal Fiesta Bowl.
However, Evan Balmer, 33, said he thought Lewis would work to improve Arizona schools.
"Immigration is part of the reason I voted as I did, but education is the greatest thing for me," said the representative of our part-time service to Lowe and graduate student at Arizona State University.
Lewis spent the campaign on a shoestring budget compared to Pearce and recruited a popular door to door effort to meet with voters one-on-one.
Pearce, meanwhile, often boasted that he had never lost an election and that some of the biggest names in Arizona politics, including Arpaio and Gov. Jan Brewer, who works on your behalf. He raised nearly a quarter of a million dollars and spent over Lewis by a margin of 3-1.
The race has been controversial from the start.
Even before the withdrawal is made official, Pearce supporters erected signs attacking the retreat, then were forced to withdraw after the municipal and state officials ruled that they were illegally placed.
Pearce supporters tried to paint Lewis as an outsider and an instrument of liberal special interests, even though Lewis raised most of their money from Mesa, while the vast majority of Pearce coffers came from outside the district.
Lewis also accused of stealing donated items for homeless children in a charter school that Lewis works. The charge not only stick but infuriated former president of the Arizona House Kirk Adams of Mesa. Adams, who criticized the attack last week.
Strange tactic
One of the most bizarre tactics, however, involved a Mexican immigrant named Olivia Cortes, who admitted Pearce's supporters have helped to get on the ballot in hopes of draining votes Lewis.
Pearce denied any knowledge of how Cortés became a candidate, but his supporters, including two of his nieces, led to calls for nomination for Cortes, and several paid petition circulators signatories said they were trying to cut on the ballot in Pearce benefit.
Name of Cortez appeared on the ballot even though officially retired from the race. Cortes received about 250 votes out of 20,000 cast.
Rico Senator Crandall, R-Mesa, said the result was not surprised.
"I feel bad for Russell from the point of view that it was the worst run campaign I've ever seen," said Crandall. "I've never seen more blunders in a choice of what happened to him."
Senator Andy Biggs, R-Gilbert, is one of several candidates to replace Pearce as Senate president.
"I am deeply disappointed that he (Pearce) did not win," he said.
Biggs said the flap of choice Cortes turned many voters against Pearce and could have cost him 4.5 points in the election. "That was an amazing miscalculation," he said.
The county expects to verify the election results of November 16, and the Secretary of State's Office must certify the results, along with the governor and attorney general.
Matt Roberts, spokesman for the Secretary of State Ken Bennett, said the official count is likely to take place November 21.
source : azcentral.com
source : azcentral.com
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