Very early campaign committees for 2012

I've been wanting to do one of these for a while, but haven't been able to do so because no one has opened a 2012 campaign committee for statewide, legislative, or Congressional races.

It was kind of baffling for a moment because in previous cycles, candidates for the next cycle started forming campaign committees almost as soon as the voting is complete in the previous cycle.

Then I remembered - we're in a redistricting year, and no one can start a campaign committee because they don't know what district they will be running for.  This affects any potential statewide candidates (there are three seats on the Corporation Commission up next year) because the layout of the new districts could affect their decisions on what office to seek.

Still, at the county and local levels, a few committees have been opened or are still open for the 2012 cycle.

An open committee at this point doesn't mean that the candidate listed will be on the 2012 ballot for the office listed, but it allows him/her to raise and expend money in support of a possible candidacy.

Newly opened -

Peter Pingerelli of Peoria opened a $500 Threshold committee for a run at the Peoria Unified School District Governing Board (opened 1/12/2011).  He's not an incumbent, and he's not a candidate to fill the vacancy on the current board.

Keith Russell of Mesa has opened a committee for the office of Maricopa County Assessor.  He is the current County Assessor (1/6/2011).


Still open -

R Fulton Brock (incumbent) has a committee open for County Supervisor.  He's got a little under $100 cash on hand, and his soon-to-be ex-wife Susan is still listed as the committee treasurer, though Fulton filed his most recent report himself.  Something will have to change soon - either he won't be running for reelection, or he will find a new treasurer since she's about to become a convicted and imprisoned felon.  I'm guessing that he will just find a new treasurer once things settle down, but this being Maricopa County Arizona, anything could happen.

R Don Stapley (incumbent) has a committee open for County Supervisor.  He's got a little under $500 cash on hand.

R Andy Kunasek (incumbent) has a committee open for County Supervisor.  He has a little more than $34K on hand.

R Max Wilson (incumbent) has a committee open for County Supervisor.  He reports $0 cash on hand

D Mary Rose Wilcox (incumbent) has a committee open for County Supervisor.  She has a little more than $13K on hand.

R Bill Montgomery (incumbent) has a committee open for County Attorney.  He has $28K cash on hand.

R Joe Arpaio (incumbent) has a committee open for County Sheriff.  He has $2.8 million in cash on hand.

R Mike Stauffer (challenger) has a committee open for County Sheriff.  He has $374 cash on hand.  His Facebook campaign page is here.


Local elections, Tempe:

Kolby Granville has a City of Tempe committee open (9/21/2010) with no office specified, but Tempe has City Council and Mayoral elections coming early next year.

The incumbents - Council members Corey Woods, Mark Mitchell, and Joel Navarro, as well as Mayor Hugh Hallman - have open committees.  Nothing surprising there, though Hallman may not be running for reelection, depending on term limits (not sure how those affect Tempe offices, if at all) and what the new Congressional districts look like.


Local elections, Scottsdale:

Jim Lane has opened a committee for a run at reelection as Mayor.  Again, not surprising.

Later...