Longtime Maricopa County Supervisor Max Wilson announced Friday he will retire, effective March 11, citing health reasons.
The 70-year-old Litchfield Park Republican was hospitalized with the flu in January. This week, his doctors advised him to take it easy. He also has had previous health concerns, and has gone through two open-heart surgeries in the past.
Wilson won reelection last year, so his office normally wouldn't be on the ballot again until 2016.
However, his resignation means that the rest of the BOS will appoint another Republican from Wilson's NW Maricopa County district to fill the office until the 2014 election, when somebody will be elected to serve out the remaining two years in the term.
If he (or she) chooses to run for election to the position, the appointee, whoever it may be, will have a leg up in the 2014 election. They'll be running as an incumbent, an unelected one to be sure, but better to be an unelected incumbent than none at all (see: Jan Brewer in 2010).
Being the Northwest Valley, and Republicans, I've got no insight into how this is going to shake out, but expect to see a bit of a "domino effect".
Any person who is appointed to the office is likely to be a "mover and shaker" on the West Valley political scene, and if not already an elected official, someone who is on the short list of those considered to be ready to move into office. Their appointment will, in turn, create an opening for someone else to move into the political "on deck circle" (nice baseball reference for a political change happening during spring training, doncha' think? :) ).
Wilson has faced two primary opponents during his tenure, easily defeating both.
In 2012, former state legislator and current member of the governing board of the Central Arizona Project, Jean McGrath ran against him, getting trounced. She may have some supporters among SD4's Republicans, but based on the primary results, there aren't many of them.
In 2004, one George L. Bradbury IV served himself up as the political equivalent of cannon fodder. Hadn't heard of him before doing some research for this post, so he seems to done with his (apparently short-lived) political career, but a Google search turned up some allegations of sketchy land deals and being on the defendant side of some civil actions in court.
Stuff that isn't supposed to be done by those interesting in being on the MCBOS...at least until they are part of the MCBOS.
1 comment:
Retiring Maricopa County Supervisor Max Wilson has a shameful record. He did nothing at all to control Sheriff Arpaio through the illegal prosecutions and arrests of Judges, County Supervisors, lawyers, and County employees; leading to the disbarment of the County Attorney and his Chief Deputy.
Wilson did nothing at all to uncover or deal with the 432 sex crimes just not investigated by Arpaio.
Wilson refused to make any effort to curtail the waste of taxpayer money and besmirching of the state's reputation from Arpaio's absurd birther clowning.
Wilson did nothing at all to stop the Sheriff from attacking, charging and arresting his political opponents.
Wilson did nothing to stop the Sheriff from shackling women in labor, nor to protect the unborn from malnutrition, nor to see that adequate medical care was provided to pregnant inmates. And Wilson CLAIMS to be pro-life.
Wilson made zero effort to deal with the ineffectiveness of the Sheriff: Violent crimes up in areas served by Arpaio; down everywhere else, major thefts ignored.
Wilson did nothing (and one has to suspect, wanted nothing done) to control the Sheriff's mistreatment in the jails, Arpaio's racial profiling, all resulting in the horrendous slow moving tsunami of lawsuits that are slowly engulfing the County.
Wilson did nothing to control the Sheriff's mis-spending of $99.5 million in "mis-spent" taxpayer money, and numerous other smaller bits; corruption costing the taxpayers hundreds of millions.
It goes on and on.
Wilson was a dreadfully poor excuse for a public servant. He didn't do his job. Good riddance.
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