Sunday, February 26th, 2006...8:58 am
Tempe Abnormal
Just to show that once in a while, even I can be wrong and I recognize that, I made an error, a faux pas, in my post about the State Treasurer’s race. I said that Laura Knaperek was a possible candidate for Senate in District 17.
I heard from my legion of fans. They tell me that Knaperek isn’t interested in the seat. Although she’s a proven vote getter in the district, the Republican candidate would be the Jeff Gannon look-alike Mark Thompson. Thompson, if you remember, came in fourth for re-election in 2004.
So, why the heck would Knaperek dodge this race and instead look at running state wide?
It turns out that even though the East Valley is considered staunchly Republican, there are trends that are looking bad for the Republicans in some areas. Kanperek’s District 17, for example, voted for Al Gore and John Kerry. They obviously still support Republicans, recent elections in Tempe bear that out. However, it is becoming clear that someone like Knaperek, who has played good soldier for the far right for a while, is not the sort of Republican that can be supported there. She is going for Treasurer because she sees which way the wind is blowing and doesn’t think she can get elected to the State Senate.
This also means the Republicans will have to look elsewhere to pick up a Senate seat for their “veto-proof majority” dream.
16 Comments
February 26th, 2006 at 12:21 pm
A recent editorial in The Arizona Republic confirms that Knaperek has expressed interest in running for State Treasurer.
February 26th, 2006 at 12:59 pm
It is also becoming pretty stunning to me at the number of “far far right” folks that are running on the Republican side for statewide offices. Gov, treasurer, U.S. Senate, etc. The primaries could weed them out, but on the other hand, we could see a pretty unreasonable group of Repubs on one side versus a moderate and mainstream looking set of Democrats.
Roger
February 26th, 2006 at 1:10 pm
Well, finally people have started to wake up to this fact. Tempe is split 13 Democrat, 13 Republican and 13 IndependentOther.
I love it when the Republic and the other news agencies pretend that the district and the city are somehow Republican leaning because the GOP 13rd outweights the Democrat 13rd by like 900 votes.
Sorry, John Kerry carried District 17, which includes most of Tempe and South Scottsdale by 8,000 votes (margin) in a district that has a total registration of 72,000.
Need i say more?
February 26th, 2006 at 1:33 pm
And don’t forget — 17 voted against prop 200 as well.
February 26th, 2006 at 2:05 pm
I have a post, and it died.
Anyway, Laura is also female and women do well in the district.
February 26th, 2006 at 2:24 pm
Then is sounds like that there should be no problem in having a good Democrat run and take this seat? It is at least, not unthinkable as some suggest about turning our legislature.
Thanks to Tom-AZ for the informative post. I wonder how many other seats in Maricopa and other part of the state are like the district that Tom helps us with?
February 27th, 2006 at 11:46 am
K-Nap is not running for State Treasurer. She’s been promised a high-paying job by Dino when he wins the spot.
February 27th, 2006 at 11:51 am
Laura Knaprek will be announcing soon for State Treasurer. Stay tuned as all hell will be breaking loose!
February 27th, 2006 at 12:48 pm
Ted:
Sorry to start a rumor on your blog, but at the meeting on Saturday, they announced all the candidates who were in attendance and running for something, and they called your name. Are you running for something, or did they make a mistake and meant to call Tom?
February 27th, 2006 at 4:24 pm
“Anyway, Laura is also female and women do well in the district.”
Yes, we residents of district 17 will vote for anything with a vagina. Testes? Not for us, thankyouverymuch.
Perhaps elizabeth will tell us how to “grow a pair.”
February 27th, 2006 at 5:20 pm
Anoymous who talked about vaginas -
It is actually very much conventional wisdom here in Tempe and 17 that a generic woman does better than a generic man at the polls.
Do you disagree? Perhaps you personally are the opposite and would rather vote for the generic man?
February 28th, 2006 at 12:37 am
In Scottsdale (D8) all three members of the State Leg are women, two in Tempe, the mayor of Scottsdale is a woman and of course we also have a woman Gov. The second in a row.
Women not only in the East Valley but in Arizona as well as nationally are viewed as less corrupt then men.
sarcasm
I cannot imagine why.
/sarcasm
February 28th, 2006 at 10:08 am
Then what happened to you? Aren’t you a woman?
February 28th, 2006 at 10:09 am
Then what happened to you? Aren’t you a woman?
I wouldn’t want to assume anything.
March 1st, 2006 at 2:10 pm
Yes, anonymous. I’ve met Elizabeth and she is a woman. And a very classy one at that.
March 1st, 2006 at 10:49 pm
Thank you Eli, you are so kind.
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