Jeff Hatch-Miller

Arizona Corporation Commission member Jeff Hatch-Miller is dropping out of the crowded Republican primary race for the GOP nomination in Arizona’s 5^th Congressional District.

Hatch-Miller told the Tribune he expects to issue a formal statement late today or Friday.

He made the decision after losing two key campaign staff members just as he was preparing to ramp up the campaign. His campaign coordinator died unexpectedly Friday, a day after his speech writer told him she had to cut back her work because of other commitments.

Further complicating his efforts, Hatch-Miller’s chief of staff at the ACC informed him Wednesday that he was leaving his post to take a higher-paying position in the private sector.

“It just wasn’t working out, so I did decide along with Anita this morning that we would pull the plug on the campaign and wait for another day,” Hatch-Miller said.

“It’s unfortunate. I think I brought a lot to the table, but there’s only so much I can respond to without making just too hard a job to stay in the race and do a good job in a very, very tough race,” he said.

Four other Republicans remain: state Rep. Mark Anderson, former state Rep. Laura Knaperek, former congressional staffer Jim Ogsbury ,and former Maricopa County treasurer Dave Schweikert. Also, former Scottsdale City Councilwoman Susan Bitter Smith launched a congressional exploratory committee last week.

The office currently is held by first-term Democrat U.S. Rep. Harry Mitchell, who is seeking re-election. The district takes in Scottsdale, Tempe, Fountain Hills, Ahwatukee Foothills and west Mesa.

Mark Anderson

State Rep. Mark Anderson today announced a press conference for 11 a.m. Wednesday, Jan. 16, at the State Capitol regarding his political future. Specifically, on Wednesday he will formally announce that he is entering the race for the Republican nomination to face incumbent U.S. Rep. Harry Mitchell, a Democrat, in the fall.

“I am nearing a final decision,” said Anderson, who represents west Mesa. “By Wednesday, I should have all the information I need to inform the public.”

Also by Wednesday, he won’t have that pesky resign-to-run law to deal with, but I digress…

Anderson is in his seventh term in the state Legislature, where he has concerned himself largely with education issues. He currently serves as chairman of the House K-12 Education Committee.

Among legislation he has sponsored or co-sponsored: Creation of tuition tax credits; establishment of a transition program for offenders released from prison; protection against children accessing pornography in schools and libraries; jettisoning junk food from elementary and middle schools; creation of a marriage skills course; and development of an abstinence program for teens.

Four other Republicans already are in the race: Arizona Corporation Commissioner Jeff Hatch-Miller, former state Rep. Laura Knaperek, former lobbyist Jim Ogsbury, and former county treasurer David Schweikert.Former Scottsdale City Councilwoman Susan Bitter Smith is waiting in the wings.Arizona’s 5^th Congressional District includes Scottsdale, Tempe, Fountain Hills, Ahwatukee Foothills, plus Anderson’s turf, west Mesa. Mitchell, a Tempe resident, is mid-way through his first two-year term in the U.S. House.

No. 6, Susan Bitter Smith

There’s been plenty of action this week in Arizona’s 5^th Congressional District.

The stars are aligning for a six-person race for the Republican nomination featuring former state Rep. Laura Knaperek, former lobbyist Jim Ogsbury, former Maricopa County treasurer David Schweikert, state Rep. Mark Anderson, former Scottsdale City Councilwoman Susan Bitter Smith and Arizona Corporation Commissioner Jeff Hatch-Miller.

Knaperek, Ogsbury and Schweikert already are in.

The others will join the fray shortly. Hatch-Miller told me he will enter the race Friday, Jan. 11. Anderson will go on Wednesday, Jan. 16. Bitter Smith said she will make a decision as early as the beginning of February, but she is leaning toward entering.

I have the latest details in a story in the Tribune today, Thursday, Jan. 10.

Anderson told me he expects a big, positive and clean campaign. “I think there’s going to be six people and they’re all good people,” he said.

However, the race has extremely limited appeal at the moment, according to Bitter Smith.

“Voters are not paying any attention to congressional politics at this point. I mean, all the people in the race are talking to each other. It doesn’t make sense, and frankly it’s not fiscally responsible, to be spending money at this point,” she said.

A candidate, such as, oh say Bitter Smith herself, could hold off another month or two before jumping in and no one would notice, she said.

Freshman U.S. Rep. Harry Mitchell is the Democratic incumbent. The district takes in Scottsdale, Tempe, Fountain Hills, Ahwatukee Foothills and west Mesa.

David Schweikert has proven that running for political office is anything but a solitary endeavor. Consider the effects his just-launched congressional campaign has had on the women of his life – his wife and his mother.

Schweikert, 45, was married for the first time just a year ago. He told me that his new wife Joyce encouraged him to run in a crowded Republican field in Arizona’s 5^th Congressional District, but she might not have been fully just aware what a congressional campaign meant for the happy couple.

Schweikert said, “She’s just now had her first taste of some of the carpet-bombing in the blogs and other things. I’m trying to say, ‘Look, this is how our democracy works today. It’s dysfunctional, full-contact sport.’”

Just keep repeating this: For better or worse. For better or worse. For better or worse.

Also, Schweikert’s mother Lee has been struggling to figure out why he decided to run. They’ve had a number of conversations on the topic.

He said, “I’m starting to believe my mother’s theory. I’m an adopted kid, so she likes this theory. She says, ‘You have a genetic defect.’ And it’s not her fault. You know how must of us, when we’re little kids growing up, sometimes say, ‘I sure hope I’m adopted and not actually related to you!’ In this case, it’s just the reverse. My mother’s going, ‘I’m so happy you’re adopted and not related to me!’ That’s actually 100 percent true.”

And election day is still 12 months away…

Former Maricopa County treasurer David Schweikert will launch his congressional campaign Thursday evening in Scottsdale.“I’m giving a little talk at something called the Republican Professionals organization and I figured, ‘Hey, there’s already going to be a group of people who are my friends there. Might as well do it then and make it easy,’” he said.

The Republican Professionals meet at 6 p.m., Thursday, Nov. 1, at Six Lounge & Restaurant, 7316 E. Stetson Drive in Scottsdale. Members of the group meet for happy hour on the first Thursday of each month at the same time and location. Admission is free and information is available at info@republicanprofessionals.org.

Schweikert is one of six Republicans who either already have or are expecte to enter the GOP primary in the 5th Congressional District, which takes in Scottsdale, Tempe, Fountain Hills, Ahwatukee Foothills and west Mesa. The seat is held by freshman Democrat Harry Mitchell.

While I was discussing the coming 2008 congressional race with not-quite-official candidate David Schweikert on Thursday, he noted, as all Republicans do, that Arizona’s 5^th Congressional District ought to be a Republican stronghold.

Check out the voter-registration numbers: 43 percent Republican, 29 percent independent, 27 percent Democrat, less than 1 percent Libertarian. The mostly urban district takes in Scottsdale, Tempe, Fountain Hills, Ahwatukee Foothills and west Mesa.

Yet Democrat challenger Harry Mitchell bounced six-term Republican incumbent J.D. Hayworth last year. Schweikert said he doesn’t have a clear read on that race. “It was a really complicated election, because, I think, there were a bunch of different things in play. And I’m not sure I’m smart enough to know what they all were. It is obvious that the election became horribly negative and I think just the voracity of it turned a lot of people off.”

The next batch of candidates might consider taking a different approach along the campaign trail, specifically an approach that would appeal to highly educated and financially successful voters in the 5th District, he said.

“Can you actually have a race these days where you actually say, ‘I’m on this side; here’s my solution. Here’s this person’s solution. Does this make sense? You choose.’ Or do you immediately have to go in there and take shots at each other? I’d love to avoid that,” Schweikert said.

For the moment, Schweikert serves as the Maricopa County treasurer. He turned in his resignation Wednesday and his final day in the county job is Monday. He will formally announce his candidacy for Congress after that. The full story can be accessed here: Posted in CD 5 race, David Schweikert, Harry Mitchell, J.D. Hayworth | Comments Off