Thursday, March 31, 2022

PCs Are Here to Stay!

Hello, Arizona! We have great news on how our Precinct Committeemen (PCs) will be elected. As you may know, the legislature passed an emergency measure to address signature requirements for candidates and the Association of Counties had language affecting PC elections added to the bill without ever talking to the stakeholders – the PCs and the political parties! The Republican Party of Arizona and the Yavapai County Republican Committee filed to challenge the hurriedly passed law in court. And we won! The Judge ruled that the section of the law regarding PC elections was unconstitutional. So now we return to direct elections of PCs. Every voter registered in a political party once again has the ability to elect who represents them inside the party. This is another example of the power of a united Republican Party with strong leadership – together we win! It is my pleasure to welcome our new Political Director, Jeremiah Cota, to the Republican Party of Arizona team. Jeremiah is an experienced political professional. He has worked at the state party as a Strategic Initiatives Director and on the staff of both Congressman Gosar and Congressman Biggs. Jeremiah is actively involved in the Party as both a Precinct Committeeman and State Committeeman. In the weeks and months ahead, I am sure many of you will be hearing from him. Welcome aboard, Jeremiah! The finish line for getting our candidates on the ballot is fast approaching: April 4th. If you have not signed for our Republican Candidates, please do so today! You can sign online for most of our candidate. The inept Secretary of State has gotten most of the eQual system back up here in the final hour. If you live in Maricopa County, there will be a Special Election for the office of Maricopa County Attorney. This is happening due to the sudden resignation of Allister Adel, just two weeks before the April 4th deadline. The Democrat candidate has the required number of signatures – we must make sure we have a tough-on-crime Republican on the ballot who will stand with law enforcement. Please click here to sign for all the candidates. If you have already signed, please pass the link along to your friends and family.    The election season is picking up steam and we need your help to achieve victory. Sign up to VOLUNTEER here. DONATE to help our efforts here. Together, we will save Arizona and save America! Always America First!   Dr. Kelli Ward Chairwoman Republican Party of Arizona

Biden Keeps Promise to Nominate Activist to SCOTUS “I think you’re the only Supreme Court nominee in history who’s been unable to answer the question: what is a woman? -Sen. Ted Cruz to SCOTUS Nominee Ketanji Brown Jackson During the 2020 presidential campaign, then-presidential candidate Joe Biden pledged to nominate a left-wing activist to the Supreme Court if given the chance. Justice Stephen Breyer’s resignation has provided Biden the opportunity to make good on his campaign promise and continue his far-left agenda by nominating Ketanji Brown Jackson to the high court. While Republican members of the Senate Judiciary Committee grilled Brown Jackson about her position on various issues last week during her nomination hearing, Brown Jackson’s left-wing comments made during speeches at educational institutions are concerning to several members.  In a 2020 lecture at the University of Michigan, Jackson highlighted Derrick Bell, “the godfather of critical race theory,” revealing that her family displayed Bell’s book in her home for many years.  At the same University of Michigan lecture, Jackson cited the 1619 Project and called Nikole Hannah-Jones an “acclaimed investigative journalist.”  In a keynote address in 2019 at the Husch Blackwell Retreat, she told students that “Life is not fair, and I totally get that the microaggressions that you are observing are real.” She also used the term “microaggressions” during a speech at the University of Chicago’s Black Law Student’s Association.  Jackson is a member of Harvard University’s Board of Overseers, which, if she were confirmed, would pose a conflict of interest in the highly contentious Harvard race-based admissions case. Democrats don’t have a single vote to spare in the Senate in confirming Jackson’s nomination. Biden and Jackson will have to defend her far-left record and explain why an activist judge deserves to be on the Supreme Court.

Phoenix Metro Region Leads U.S. in Inflation The Phoenix-Scottsdale metropolitan region leads the nation in inflation, according to statistics released last month by the U. S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The Consumer Price Index rose to 10.9 percent for the 12 month period starting in February 2021.  Atlanta, Miami, Tampa and Baltimore regions followed Phoenix with inflation rates of 10.6 percent, 9.8 percent, 9.6 percent and 9.3 percent respectively.  Statistics for the Phoenix-Scottsdale region for the same February to February period show that gasoline prices spiked 44 percent, natural gas jumped 17 percent, proteins (meats and eggs) rose 16 percent and housing prices climbed 12 percent. The increase in housing costs is due in part to Arizona’s fast growth. The Arizona region recently moved ahead of Philadelphia to become the nation’s fifth largest metropolitan area while Maricopa County is the fastest growing county in the country.

Section 4 of HB 2839 Declared 'Unconstitutional' Section 4 of HB 2839 that eliminated elections for Republican and Democrat Precinct Committeemen in the 2022 campaign cycle has been struck down by Yavapai County Superior Court Judge John Napper.  The Republican Party of Arizona Chairwoman Dr. Kelli Ward, Yavapai County Chairwoman Lois Fruhwirth and Secretary Ann Roper filed the suit challenging the law that was signed by Gov. Doug Ducey on March 3. HB 2839, Emergency Election Legislation, was fast tracked through the state legislature and disenfranchised PCs.    After HB 2839 was passed, Republican representatives worked to change Section 4 through legislative action. The only fix required a two-thirds vote for an emergency measure to pass, but lacked Democrat votes.  Judge Napper’s decision declaring Section 4 unconstitutional was read on March 22 in a Yavapai County court room packed with Yavapai County PCs.

Tony Sanchez is Arizona Victory's New Election Integrity Director Tony Sanchez has joined the Arizona Victory team as Election Integrity Director. He will work with the 15 Arizona county parties in recruiting, training and assigning work shifts for poll watchers. He will base from the RPAZ Scottsdale headquarters where he will work with Arizona Victory State Director Chris Escobedo.  During the 2020 campaign, Tony worked with the Trump Victory campaign where he organized, trained, and mobilized volunteers statewide to get out the vote for President Trump as well as other Republican candidates. He has a professional background in management of non-profit, conservative organizations.

Republican States Lead Nation in Job Recovery Joe Biden’s Labor Department has confirmed that states with Republican governors and legislatures are blazing the way to post-pandemic job recovery in the U. S.  Through January, 15 of the top 20 states for jobs recovered are led by Republican governors while 17 of the top 20 states are governed by Republican legislatures. In the top 20 states with the lowest unemployment rates, 17 have Republican dominated legislatures.  These data, coupled with out-of-control economic inflation – gasoline surpassing the $5.00 price point in many states -- are some of the reasons Republicans are looking for victorious results at this year’s mid-term elections.

RPAZ Names New Political Director Jeremiah Cota has been named to the position of Political Director of the Republican Party of Arizona leading up to the 2022 election in November, according to Dr. Kelli Ward, RPAZ Chairwoman.  Previously Mr. Cota worked for the state party as a Strategic Initiatives Director and was Field Director for Americans for Prosperity. Most recently he worked for Arizona 4th CD Representative Paul Gosar and 5th District Representative Andy Biggs. He has done extensive work to provide school choice for Arizona students and is a founder of the San Marcos Micro School. He is an elected Precinct Committeeman and State Committeeman.  He received a bachelor’s degree in business from Southwest Assemblies of God University in Waxahachie, Texas.

We Need Your Help! The Republican Party of Arizona is looking for volunteers to help our candidates achieve electoral success at the polls this November. Several volunteer positions are available. Check azgop.com for the Volunteer Application Form. You’ll hear from us.

CAP Dinner to Feature Conservative Ben Shapiro April 5 Conservative political commentator and media personality Ben Shapiro will be the featured speaker at the Central Arizona Policy dinner on Tuesday, April 5 at the JW Marriott Camelback Inn resort in Scottsdale. The dinner starts at 7:00 PM. Required reservations can be made by Chris St. John at 480-674-2635. Candidates Pack Yavapai Pachyderm Meeting April 9 Five Republican candidates will present to attendees of the Yavapai County Pachyderm at a lunch meeting on Saturday, April 9. The candidates are Arizona gubernatorial candidate Bryan Masche, U. S. Senate candidate Justin Olsen, Nick Myers and Kevin Thompson, candidates for Arizona Corporation Commission and state Senate candidate Steve Zipperman. The noon lunch will be held in the Homeowners Association Building at 1133 Old Chisholm Trail in Dewey. Mandatory reservations are available from Sue at [email protected] or 928-636-7355.  Pima Republicans to Host CD 6 Candidate April 12 CD 6 candidate Young Mayberry will address the Pima County Republican Club on Tuesday, April 12 in Tucson. The meeting starts at 11:30 AM at the Kettle Restaurant 748 W. Star Pass Blvd. Information is available from Jim Sanchez, [email protected].  Frontline, the electronic newsletter of the Republican Party of Arizona, is published twice monthly by and for the Republican Party of Arizona and is responsible for its content.  Submit events news and material for publication consideration to: [email protected]. Want to have Frontline sent directly to you? No problem. Simply request a free subscription at [email protected]. We'll add your name to the list to receive every issue of Frontline. RPAZ Staff Dr. Kelli Ward, State Chairwoman Pam Kirby, Executive Director Dan Godzich, Communications Manager Jeremiah Cota, Political Director Kristy Dohnel, Business Operations Terry Babb, Special Projects and Volunteer Coordinator Matt Grim, Assistant Finance Manager Felicia Gibson, Administrative Assistant Carl Hodgson, Intern 2022 Executive Committee Jill Norgaard, First Vice-Chair Nathan Jackson, Second Vice-Chair Gina Swoboda, Third Vice-Chair Yvonne Cahill, Secretary Shirley Dye, Assistant Secretary Sheila Muehling, Treasurer John Stevens, Assistant Treasurer Mitch Friedlander, Sergeant-at-Arms Chris King, Assistant Sergeant-at-Arms Tyler Bowyer, National Committeeman Lori Klein-Corbin, National Committeewoman United Patriots to Hear Constitution Presentation April 13 Candidate for U. S. Senate Jim Lamon will lead a discussion entitled Principles of Liberty and Freedom Found in the U. S. Constitution at a meeting of the United Patriots of Arizona. The presentation will start at 7:00 PM at the Val Vista Academy in Gilbert on Wednesday, April 13. Jeffrey Crane at 480-313-9696 or [email protected] has more information. Candidates Gould and Owens Top Lincoln Women's Dinner Meeting April 11 Attorney General candidate Andrew Gould and Corporation Commission candidate Kim Owens will address the Lincoln Republican Women at the group’s monthly diner meeting on Monday, April 11 at Maggiano’s Little Italy in Scottsdale. The meeting starts at 5:30 PM in the private dining room. Tickets for the dinner are available from [email protected] or from Julie at 480-272-0511. Four Candidates Top Havasu GOP April Meet April 4 Arizona Secretary of State candidate Mark Finchem, Attorney General candidate Abraham Hamadeh, State Representative candidate Bill Hardt and Clerk of Superior Court candidate Christina Spurlock will be guest speakers at the April dinner meeting of the London Bridge Republican Women. The meeting will be held on Monday, April 4 at Shugrues Bridgeview Room in Lake Havasu and starts at 5:00 PM. Reservations for the event are available from Amie Boggs at 928-231-6805. Dinesh D'Souza to Keynote Maricopa Lincoln Day Luncheon May 21 Best-selling author and award-winning film maker Dinesh D’Souza will be the guest speaker at the Maricopa County Republican Committee’s annual Lincoln Day Luncheon on Saturday, May 21. The luncheon will be held at the McCormick Ranch resort in Scottsdale.  Mr. D’Souza hosts a daily podcast where he discusses conservative leaders and issues. He was formerly a domestic policy analyst in the Reagan White House and scholar at the American Enterprise and Hoover Institutes. Complete information about the Lincoln Day Luncheon is available on the MCRC website, www.maricopagop.org.