2014 Updates...

...It's early, but Arizona Attorney General Tom Horne has already given up on the idea of running on his record.  Being the subject of a multistate investigation for campaign finance violations and committing an FBI-witnessed hit-and-run accident while leaving his girl friend's home during the work day will do that.

From the Arizona Republic, written by Yvonne Wingett Sanchez -

Republican Arizona Attorney General Tom Horne’s campaign is attacking the media and President Barack Obama as it tries to raise money for Horne’s re-election.

In an e-mail to supporters late last week, Horne accused the “liberal media” of comparing him to murderer Jodi Arias, calling it “a new low and a disgusting attack” that cannot be allowed to stand.

Horne is upset that the media (and others) observed the interesting timing of his guilty plea on charges relating to the hit-and-run - it was crammed through on short notice so that it would be lost in the media frenzy that exploded when the Jodi Arias verdict was announced.

Prediction:  Horne will face a challenger in the Republican primary.  Even the Rs know that someone with a record like his will be toast in a general election, especially against a strong candidate like Democrat Felecia Rotellini.


...It's early, but State Rep. Steve Montenegro has announced the list of consultants that he has hired for his "exploration" of a run at AZ Secretary of State.

He is spinning the team of big-name (in R circles) players as a way of proving his (potential...yeah right) candidacy is a serious one.

I think that it's more likely that his campaign will be hitting up donors for as many max bribes campaign contributions as possible - the folks Montenegro has hired don't come cheap.  And no matter how their candidates do at the ballot box, they do well personally.


...It's still early, but a highly qualified candidate for State Superintendent of Public Instruction has formed an exploratory committee.

From the Tucson Weekly, written by Mari Herreras - 

Earlier today, David Garcia announced on Facebook that he's launched an exploratory committee for State Superintendent of Public Instruction. And as crazy as it seems in Arizona, the ASU associate professor is kinda qualified for the job.

With that, let's wish Garcia luck and acknowledge he'll probably lose, but hey, welcome to the fray. From his Facebook candidate page:

Phoenix, Ariz. — June 3, 2013 — Dr. David Garcia, an Associate Professor at Arizona State University, announced the formation of an exploratory committee, Garcia 2014, for Arizona’s Superintendent of Public Instruction.

A nationally recognized expert in education policy and research, Dr. Garcia served as the state Associate Superintendent of Public Instruction for Standards and Accountability, Director of Research and Policy for the Arizona Department of Education, research analyst for the Arizona State Senate Education Committee, and peer consultant for the U.S. Department of Education. He is the current director of the Arizona Education Policy Initiative.

{snip}

Born and raised in Mesa, Arizona, Garcia received his B.A. from ASU and a Masters of Arts and Ph.D. in Education Policy, Research and Institutional Studies from the University of Chicago. He proudly served in the U.S. Army Infantry where he trained as a Nuclear, Biological and Chemical Warfare Specialist. He and his wife Lori Higuera, a Director at Fennemore Craig, P.C., have two young daughters that attend an Arizona public school.

Sounds incredibly qualified, but given that the two most recent superintendents of public instruction, Tom Horne and John Huppenthal, were (and are) incredibly unqualified for the job, Garcia has an uphill fight ahead of him.

He joins Sharon Thomas in the Democratic field of candidates for the state's top education post.

David Safier, BfA's resident education wonk, offers his insights into Garcia here.