Wednesday, June 27th, 2007...5:54 am
Cannell Planning a Second Act?
Former Senator Robert Cannell has, if reports are to be believed, changed his voter registration to Republican and is planning a run for his old seat.
Cannell was regarded as a pragmatic, moderate Democrat who was also for many years the only physician in the legislature. His attatchment to party was never very strong (he’s been registered as a Republican before), and was a Democrat because it was the easiest path to the legislature when he first ran. He’d be on the moderate edge of his new party if he was elected.
I don’t think we are going to see any press conference here with Cannell proclaiming that the Democratic Party “left him,” he is doing this for pragmatic reasons. His Yuma area district is a swing district that just elected three Democrats who are probably going to be top targets in this next election. Even though he could be elected as a Democrat again, that would mean a primary challenge against Amanda Aguirre. Demographic realities in the Democratic party probably put the kibosh on trying to take out an incumbent latina. Although, with the current problems in the State Republican party, he would likely be on his own in a run against a well supported slate on the Democratic side.
What’s funny to me is that it seems to be exactly the wrong time for a moderate to re-register as a Republican. Their legislative caucus and the party are becoming more and more conservative. Is there a place for the more pragmatic Cannell?
7 Comments
June 27th, 2007 at 7:39 am
“His Yuma area district is a swing district that just elected three Democrats who are probably going to be top targets in this next election”. Could you please expand on what is meant by this comment? Specifically, I’m not sure what is meant by “top targets”.
June 27th, 2007 at 9:26 am
Yuma (District 24) is one of the few truly competitive districts in the state, where the number of registered Republicans and Democrats is roughly equal. (In 2006, Dems were 42% of voters, GOP was 35.1%.) The State Republican Party focused a lot of effort on LD24 last year and is expected to do so again next year. I imagine Russ Jones will run again - probably for the House, since Cannell has filed for the Seante - and the Party will probably try to get another GOP candidate for the House to take out Ulmer and Pancrazi, both of whom are in their first terms.
June 27th, 2007 at 10:03 am
“His attachment to party was never very strong (he’s been registered as a Republican before), and was a Democrat because it was the easiest path to the legislature when he first ran.”
Is Cannell at all related too or friends with Slade Mead?
June 27th, 2007 at 1:26 pm
If he gets elected as a Republican and runs/serves as a moderate, he will get lousy committee assignments in the house, he will be labeled a RINO, and he will face a rabid right primary opponent in the next polling. This is exactly what a double jumper deserves.
June 27th, 2007 at 8:17 pm
Ted,
I know Robert Cannell (and have known him since I was a kid). I can assure you his changing registrations and perhaps running for his old seat has nothing to do with simple pragmatism.
Dr. Cannell’s HUGE issue (along with Carolyn Allen) for many years has been the med mal burden of proof bill to raise it from preponderence to clear and convincing. Though I disagree with him on this and am against that bill, it has passed several times only to be vetoed by Gov. Napolitano.
His dismay at the Governor’s vetoes and his dismay at what he perceives as the undue influence of the trial lawyers within the Democratic Party are what made him switch to the GOP, endorse Russ Jones over Amanda Aguirre in 2006, and are what is making him run for his old seat.
Robert Cannell is a friend of mine and he would be a little to the moderate side of the GOP aisle. However, he is decidedly conservative on a lot of issues and I am 100% against his ideas on “tort reform.” He is a nice guy but I can assure you he is not a big fan of the Governor…at all.
June 30th, 2007 at 10:52 pm
Well, first he is friends with Slade Meade.
But the local rumor is he doesn’t plan to run until 2010. He’s just keeping the money warm for when he will jump back in. I would have to agree that this is probably not the best time to switch parties. By the time he runs, the Democrats will most likely be the majority. And my understanding was he didn’t like being in the minority and being treated like a second class citizen. Hmmmm, he might want to rethink the whole thing.
July 1st, 2007 at 1:53 pm
Yes, he hated being in the minority, but he was hardly a “second-class citizen.” He was one of, if not THE most respected legislators there.
GOPers respected him, and, of course, do did his own caucus. In all my work up there, I never once - not once - ever heard a negative comment about the man. And, personally, he is a man of immense intergrity, intelligence, and possesses a great moral compass.
I hate the fact that if he runs it’ll be as a Republican.
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