Jan Brewer starting to think that the AZ Constitution doesn't apply to her

Bill Bertolino of the Arizona Guardian has a couple of interesting stories up. (Because the pieces are behind a subscriber firewall, I'm linking to the general website only)

In the first, he writes of Governor Jan Brewer's consideration of possibly challenging the state's term limits so that she can run for a third term.

From the article -

Only five months into what is widely viewed as her final term in office, Gov. Jan Brewer is already weighing a decision on whether to challenge the Constitution so she can run for a third term.


"At this point, this is something she is looking into but she hasn't made any decision one way or the other," said Brewer spokesman Matthew Benson. "Certainly it's something we've been aware of – that there's been some ambiguity in the Constitution on this."

Bertolino followed up the Brewer piece with a talk with Grant Woods, a Republican and former Arizona Attorney General.

From that piece -

The state's former top lawman and ardent supporter of Gov. Jan Brewer doubts she's eligible for a third term.



Former Attorney General Grant Woods says he believes the Constitution prohibits governors from serving more than two consecutive terms, even if they inherited a partial term like Brewer did.

The relevant part of the Arizona Constitution -

1. Term limits on executive department and state officers; term lengths; election; residence and office at seat of government; duties


(Version amended by 1992 Proposition 107)

Section 1. A. The executive department shall consist of the governor, secretary of state, state treasurer, attorney general, and superintendent of public instruction, each of whom shall hold office for a term of four years beginning on the first Monday of January, 1971 next after the regular general election in 1970. No member of the executive department shall hold that office for more than two consecutive terms. This limitation on the number of terms of consecutive service shall apply to terms of office beginning on or after January 1, 1993. No member of the executive department after serving the maximum number of terms, which shall include any part of a term served, may serve in the same office until out of office for no less than one full term.

I'm not an attorney like Woods, but it seems pretty clear to me.

Of course, I'm not the Governor either, nor am I one of her advisors who want to keep riding the gravy train for as long as possible.

My message to her (not that I'm under any illusions that she actually reads this blog):  You can run for a third term as governor if you want to.  I'll oppose you, but you are free to do so.

In 2018.