Arizona legislature: Crandall leaving; Montenegro exploring

...The AZ Capitol Times, as written by Jim Small, is reporting that State Sen. Rich Crandall (R-Mesa) will be resigning later this year to accept what he terms as his "dream" job.

Crandall is the lege's resident expert on public education...if "expert on public education" means "knows the most ways to undermine public education".

He has a record of issuing endorsements of corporate education businesses, with the endorsements masquerading as legislative press releases.

Having said that, by the standards of the Republican caucus in the lege (big caveat there), he's known as one of the more civil and reasonable members.  That and the fact that he counts Russell Pearce among his political enemies speaks well of him.

Once he officially resigns, the Republican precinct committeemen of LD16 will meet, nominate three people, and the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors will appoint one of the three to fill the seat.

Predictions:

- The Pearce-friendly contingent in LD16 will try to take the seat.  Crandall defeated one of their own, John Fillmore, in a hotly-contested primary, and the tea party types there were (and presumably, still are) fuming.  One of the effects of this early announcement is that it gives candidates who don't spend their evenings baying at the moon a chance to build support over the next few months.

- Look for Crandall to end up as part of the nascent Jeb Bush for President campaign.  In addition to the endorsement press release touting Jeb Bush's troubled "Foundation for Excellence in Education", Crandall's most recent financial disclosure statement indicates that Crandall accepted a "gift" valued at more than $500 (they're not required to disclose the actual value of the graft gift) from the Bush campaign prop education advocacy group.

...Laurie Roberts of the Arizona Republic is reporting that State Rep. Steve Montenegro (R-Litchfield Park) is "exploring" a 2014 run for Arizona Secretary of State.  Montenegro is an ally of Russell Pearce and the other R candidate in the race, State Sen. Michelle Reagan, is not.  Which, like Crandall above, may be the best thing that can be said about her politically, but that's a story for another post.

And rest assured, there will be another post.