Primary ballots are in!

I received it on 7/5.

There aren't many races on the Democratic side.  As you can see. :)

The big one on my ballot is the six-way race in CD1 for a chance to take on Republican David Schweikert in the general election.

Being a former Republican isn't a dealbreaker for me (the Republican Party has gotten so extreme [and anti-society] that any member of the GOP who's even within sniffing distance of being a decent human being has left it.)

Being a former supporter of Jan Brewer isn't quite a dealbreaker, either.  Much closer, though.  She was a profoundly lousy governor.

Being someone who voted for Cheeto *is* a dealbreaker, though.  He was and is a profoundly lousy human being and anyone who wants to be a member of Congress should be smart enough to see that.  And decent enough to be bothered by that.

Having said all of that, I will vote for a candidate in the primary, Kurt Kroemer.

On the other hand, I fully expect that whichever candidate emerges victorious from the primary will run as R-lite in the general.

Bottom line: we don't need a second iteration of Kyrsten Sinema in D.C. and I won't hold my nose when I vote, ever again.  I won't vote for Schweikert, but I may skip the race entirely.

Also, I expect that the candidate and certain party officers to be simply aghast to see an R-lite candidate lose to an R.  Yet again.

In the LD8 primary for state representative, I'll be voting for Juan Mendez and Brian Garcia.  

I've known Mendez for years and supported him in previous runs for office and he's done a good job in those offices.  I'm happy to vote for him again.

As for Garcia, I've never met him, but while I'm not a fan of endorsements, he's been endorsed by someone I respect greatly.

In the race for Arizona Corporation Commission, I have no opinion.  Three people, Joshua Polacheck, Ylenia Aguilar, and Jonathon Hill are on the ballot.

In the race for Maricopa County Sheriff, working for Joe Arpaio is a dealbreaker...in the primary.  Like Cheeto, Arpaio was and is a profoundly lousy human being.

As such, I'll be voting for Tyler Kamp.

If he makes it though the primary, though, Russ Skinner will get my vote in the general.  The Republican candidates are all running on a platform of "I'm more like Joe than thou."

I expect my elected officials like county sheriff and county attorney to be seen and not heard.  By that, I mean that I should know nothing about them.

The former sheriff, Paul Penzone, was quiet.

When Arpaio was in office, the old joke was that the most dangerous spot to be in AZ was any place between him and a TV camera.

Hope David Schweikert (R-Ethics Issues) isn't claustrophobic

'Cuz the field to unseat him is a crowded one.

There's a new entrant on the Democratic side of race - 

Ireland-born Wall Street guy Conor O'Callaghan.  Long-time Democratic activist Jeanne Lunn will serve as his committee's treasurer.

As of right now, Democrats O'Callaghan, Kurt Kroemer, Marlene Galan-Woods, Andrei Cherny, Amish Shah, and Andrew Horne are running for Schweikert's seat and I expect that they won't be the only entrants in the Democratic primary.

A list of statements of interest filed with the Arizona Secretary of State is here.

Plus, I expect that Schweikert will be challenged in the primary, from his party's right wing.

While, like most R electeds, he has ethics "issues," he doesn't seem to be quite as bigoted as fellow R Paul Gosar.

Caveat1 - This is my district now, but I have *not* decided who to vote for, and I won't make that decision until I have a ballot in hand.

Caveat2 - Forming a committee or filing a statement is no guarantee that someone will be on a ballot, nor is such required before being on a ballot.

The CD1 candidate field is getting crowded

Kurt Kroemer, an experienced exec for non-profits, has formed a committee in the D race to unseat the vulnerable R David Schweikert.

Kroemer has already started his campaign - he sent out a mass text on Wednesday.

He joins Amish Shah, a doctor and member of the Arizona Legislature, and Andrei Cherny, a former chair of the Arizona Democratic Party, in the race.  

They may be the earliest entrants, but I don't expect them to be the last ones.

Disclosure time: While I haven't made a decision as yet, because of a move, I now live in CD1 and will be voting in this primary.