Candidates seek seats in state Legislature

Two candidates seeking the state senate seats in Legislative District 30 face no primary opponents.

Both have state legislative experience — Democrat Georgette Valle of Green Valley and Republican Jonathan Paton.

Valle got her experience serving 24 years as a legislator in the Washington state lower house. Paton was elected to two terms in the Arizona House of Representatives and is term-limited from running again.

There are four Republicans and one Democrat running for the state house. Democrat Andrea Dalessandro will be on the November ballot, facing either Frank Antenori, Sharon Collins, David Gowan or Doug Sposito.

District No. 30 covers a large part of Southeastern Arizona, including parts of Tucson, Green Valley, Sahuarita, Vail and Patagonia.

Valle and Paton are after the seat that was held by Republican Tim Bee, who was the state Senate president, and now’s running for the Arizona’s 8th Congressional District.

Bee faces one-term incumbent Democrat Gabrielle Giffords.

One of the thing Patton champions in the state legislature is his efforts to stand up to the Phoenix majority in the legislature.

Paton said he was instrumental in passing the country’s first illegal smuggling legal crackdown that resulted in 900 illegal aliens arrests.

Paton took a year out of public service to spend a year serving with U.S. troops in Iraq.

Then-state Sen. Bee campaigned for Paton.

Valle said that in 24 years in the Washington state legislature she learned to legislate with hope, creativity and strong bipartisan relationships and priorities.

She said she seeks a vigorous economic development program that will pull Arizona out of this unprecedented economic downturn.

She said she wants schools to prepare children “for careers — not just jobs.”

The lone Democrat in the race for seats from the 30th Legislative District, Andrea Dalessandro, has worked in education and is a Certified Public Accountant and holds an MBA in professional accounting.

Republican Frank Antenori is a retired Army Special Forces serviceman. He works at Raytheon now.

He advises those who want to know more of him to go to the website: vote4frank.com.

Another Republican for the state Legislature is Sharon Collins, who has experience in Arizona government. She was deputy director for two Republican governors, Fyfe Simington and Jane Hull. For the past five years, she’s been in the administration of state school superintendent of public education Tom Horne.

David Gowan describes himself as “a true conservative.”

“I can fight for a balanced budget, property tax cuts, a secure border, private property rights and pro-family causes like protecting marriage and innocent human life.”

Republican Doug Sposito lives on his family homestead in Southern Arizona.

Sposito said he has had a good view of the public education system. Both his parents were teachers.

Sposito claims he’s the only candidate who will fight for Southern Arizona, including education, rural health care, fix roads “and make certain our elderly feel secure in their homes.

Polls are open 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. next Tuesday, primary day.

jlamb@gvnews.com | 547-9749