Columnists Jordan Meyer and Jordan Brunner give their perspective on the outcome of the midterm elections.
Arizona Governor — Republican Doug Ducey
Meyer: During Ducey's governorship, we can expect more of the same in resisting the federal government and the state's supposed right to override it. The approval of Proposition 122, will act as another tool in the arsenal for the state, and subsequently Ducey, to make a mockery of Arizona on the national level. The proposition allows (constitutionality pending) the state to reject any federal sanction that the state deems unconstitutional — namely, the continuous battle against the health care law proposed by President Barack Obama.
Brunner: Governor-elect Ducey ran on his business record at Cold Stone Creamery throughout this hard-fought election, targeting DuVal for his lobbying practices in a huge number of negative ads. Running a state is not the same as running a business, and the office of state treasurer is not the same as the office of governor of Arizona. Ducey will be facing a state that has a rising unemployment rate and a rapidly approaching fiscal cliff, and the test of his administration will be whether he can create jobs as he promised he would. Ducey has promised enormous tax cuts for both individuals and businesses.
However, that may just be a band-aid for the current problem. On his first day of office, Ducey needs to provide a comprehensive economic vision for Arizona in order to aid our rapidly decreasing workforce here in Arizona, and that includes stimulating local businesses and encouraging big businesses like entertainment and industrial giants to settle in Arizona. Ducey needs to market Arizona extremely well, using the best and the brightest in his administration.
Meyer: The direction of education is another uncertainty in the face of Ducey’s victory. While DuVal’s plan for education was praised by local educators, Ducey’s plan for public education is not as pragmatic and offers a precarious future for education in Arizona. He alleges he is able to provide primary students with an adequate education with the current budget (which has been diminished in the past five-plus years).
Brunner: The sticking point for me is Ducey’s position on Common Core, which is a very controversial issue to begin with. Common Core would at least force teachers and school administrators to re-evaluate the way they are teaching, especially in Arizona. Let’s face it — Arizona is nearly last in the nation on education, and the policies of yesterday will not work.
What is surprising to me is that Ducey was able to win on a pro-business platform when Mitt Romney lost his election after he used the same tactic. Then again, Romney was running for the presidency in a very diverse populace, while Ducey was running in a very conservative, business-based state with which Ducey is very connected.
Immigration will also be key in the coming months, especially since Arizona has still been a lightning rod for controversy over Senate Bill 1070 bill that Gov. Brewer signed into law. Although Ducey has stayed very party line leading up to the election, I believe that he needs to take a different stance now that he has succeeded in winning the governor’s seat.
Representative for 9th Congressional District — Democrat Kyrsten Sinema
Meyer: Sinema was the sole victor and ally to the Democratic party in the state. Her victory last election cycle was unexpected; however, she is what the district and the state needs. She supports the federal government increasing the minimum wage to $10.10 an hour. The raise would greatly benefit a large segment of her congressional district who maintain low-waged jobs — college students. Sinema’s stances on minimum wage, women’s rights, among other concerns for the young electorate, makes her an ideal representative for the 9th District on the national stage.
Brunner: Tempe was the deciding factor in Kyrsten Sinema’s victory in the 9th Congressional District. Her stances on key social and economic issues — same-sex marriage, minimum wage, and the voice of younger voters — allowed her to galvanize the younger populace of her district in support of her campaign. It didn’t hurt that her opponent, Wendy Rogers, provided a lackluster performance for her party, which knew from the beginning that Sinema’s district was hers to lose.
Not that any of this is bad. Sinema has proven herself to be both a moderate and reasoned voice in Congress, and I’m sure that her stance on many issues will be quite valuable with what looks like will be a largely partisan House of Representatives.
Secretary of State — Republican Michele Reagan
Meyer: I am unusually indifferent on the election of Reagan. Although Terry Goddard was the right choice to become Arizona’s next Secretary of State, both candidates' concerns on the influx of dark money were parallel. Dark money is a grave concern to the integrity of the electoral system in Arizona and needs to be the foremost concern for the next Secretary of the State. However, Reagan overstates a concern for voter fraud, which has proven to have minimal consequences to the electoral process.
Brunner: Reagan brings a great deal of experience to the office of Secretary of State, and a lot of great ideas. For instance, Reagan’s idea to have kiosks on college campuses that allow students to register to vote virtually, which was voiced during her speech at the Sparking Democracy event her at ASU, is a wonderful idea that would probably attract a lot of attention not just to the voting process but also to Arizona as an election innovator.
Attorney General — Republican Mark Brnovich
Meyer: Ultimately, the most concerning result of the night is that of the new Attorney General Mark Brnovich. Brnovich is an adamant anti-abortion advocate and gained the support of a number of questionable allies that may inevitably impact his decision-making as attorney general. One of his more dubious supporters is the National Rifle Association, which poses an obvious concern as a state with some of the loosest gun restrictions in the nation. His election is disconcerting, to say the least, to liberal principles, including women’s rights.
Brunner: Although Brnovich is beholden to the National Rifle Association in some respects, he has criminal prosecution experience that Felecia Rotellini definitely lacked. Sure, Rotellini has legal experience and has a large record dealing with big business and corporations. But at the end of the day, the biggest problem that Arizona is facing is not white-collar crime on the part of big businesses. Instead, as far as crime is concerned, our biggest problem is protecting our border.
But partisan politics aside, either candidate is definitely better than the outgoing Tom Horne, who disgraced the office of Attorney General in Arizona during his term.
Editor’s note: The opinions presented in this column are the author’s and do not imply any endorsement from The State Press or its editors.
Want to join the conversation? Send an email to opiniondesk.statepress@gmail.com. Keep letters under 300 words and be sure to include your university affiliation. Anonymity will not be granted.
Like The State Press on Facebook and follow @statepress on Twitter
