Candidates and committees update

It's been a while since the last one of these, and there probably won't be many more, unless there are some truly surprising developments.

Much of this has already been covered elsewhere; this is mostly a summary.

Congress -

- He hasn't filed termination paperwork with the FEC yet (at least, such paperwork isn't on their website), but Vernon Parker, a Republican candidate in CD9, has decided to run for Arizona Corporation Commission.  Perennial candidate Parker looks as if he is following the Bitter Smith political path - "run or look at running for *many* offices until finding one that looks easy".

 - No other significant developments.


AZ statewide -

- Arizona state treasurer Doug Ducey made his candidacy for the Republican nomination for governor official with an announcement Wednesday.  He had been "exploring" a run.  "Exploring" is in quotes because it was a "wink-wink" kind of exploration - everyone knew he was going to run.

- State Senator Leah Landrum Taylor has withdrawn from the race for the Democratic nomination for Arizona Secretary of State.  This leaves former AZAG Terry Goddard as the presumptive nominee for that office.

- Former state legislator Lucy Mason is running for the R nomination for Arizona Corporation Commission.  She will be running as a team with Parker, above.

- Scott Smith, mayor of Mesa, is running for governor.  As he was elected to a four-year term in 2012, he is going to have to resign as mayor soon.  The timing of that development could be interesting - if he does so early enough in the year, there will be a special election to fill out the balance of his term.


Maricopa County-level -

- Jon Hulburd, former candidate for Congress, filed to run for the SRP governing board - don't snicker - the President of the SRP Board [not the position for which Hulburd is a candidate] is the highest-paid elected official in AZ.

- Bob Blendu, former legislator, has filed to run for a seat on the governing board of the Maricopa County Special Healthcare District.

- Don Calender, a former justice of the peace, has filed for the Republican nomination in the University Lakes JP race.  Not really major news, except in November he filed for the office...as a Democrat. 


Local (Mesa, Tempe, Scottsdale) -


City of Mesa (don't know much about these folks, so if they have 2014 paperwork on the City's website, they are listed.  Nobody has filed for the mayor's spot.  Yet.) -

City Council races:

- Chris Glover, District 4

- Robert Cluff, District 5
- David Luna, District 5

- Trevor Hansen, District 6
- Kevin Thompson, District 6


City of Tempe (a couple of these folks are people I know and respect and consider to be friends, and will be disclosed as such in the listing.  Having said that, this is just a listing of new/almost new candidates.) -

- Former state senator and candidate for Congress David Schapira is running for a seat on the Tempe City Council (friend #1)
- Longtime community and political activist Lauren Kuby is running for a seat on the Tempe City Council (friend #2)
- Newcomer Bruce Nester is running for a seat on the Tempe City Council.
- Community activist Ernesto Fonseca is running for a seat on the Tempe City Council.


City of Scottsdale

- Former City Manager John Little has withdrawn from the race for a seat on the City Council.  No specific reason was cited in the story, but it did have some speculation in it.