Getting to know the Southern Arizona political candidates running on Nov. 4

An all-candidate forum will be held at 9 a.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 24, at the West Center and the public is invited to hear the candidates’ views.

Invited are 8th Congressional District U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, a Democrat, and the challenger, state Senate President Tim Bee, a Republican. Also, candidates for Legislative District 30 state Senator and Representative; Pima County Attorney, Sheriff, and Pima County Board of Supervisors District 3, as well as six candidates running for three seats on the Arizona Corporation Commission.

Following are summaries of the backgrounds of candidates in contested races.

8th Congressional District

Gabrielle Giffords—Democrat (incumbent)

Giffords, 38, in first term in Congress, serves on the House Armed Services Committee, the House Science and Technology Committee and the House Foreign Affairs Committee.

Giffords has been a champion of efforts to develop solar energy, in part by supporting solar investment tax credits in Congress. She co-sponsored the Employee Verification Amendment Act, which extends and overhauls the federal E-Verify system, which Arizona businesses must use under a state law aimed at reducing employment of illegal immigrants.

District 8 covers 9,000 square miles and includes 114 miles of border between the U.S. and Mexico and Giffords has worked to obtain community comments on plans by the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency to establish a checkpoint north of Tubac.

On Sept. 9, she joined a veto-proof majority of 395 to 18 in approving H.R. 6630 to prevent some trucks from Mexico from continuing to have access to American highways under a demonstration project. The measure has gone to the Senate Appropriations Committee, but is unlikely to be voted on this year.

Giffords has a Master’s Degree in Regional Planning from Cornell University and was awarded a William Fulbright Scholarship to study for a year in Chihuahua, Mexico. A third generation Arizonan, she was the youngest woman elected to the Arizona Senate and represented Tucson in the state Legislature from 2000 to 2005.

Giffords is married to astronaut Mark Kelly who commanded the Discovery mission in May.

Tim Bee—Republican

First elected to the Arizona Senate in 2000 to represent Legislative District 30, Bee, 39, was re-elected in 2002, 2004 and 2006. He served as Senate Majority Leader for two sessions from 2003 to 2006, and in 2007, was elected Senate President, the first from Southern Arizona since 1974.

Describing himself as a “traditional conservative Republican,” he has served the maximum term limit of eight years and must leave the Senate.

In January Bee launched his campaign and in March, the Rothenberg Report assessed him as a top House challenger, saying “the 8th District should feature one of the most competitive races for the House in the country.”

In the waning moments of the 2008 Legislative session, Bee cast the decisive vote in favor of putting on the ballot in November a measure to constitutionally ban same-sex marriage. The measure is narrower than a measure that voters rejected in 2006, which also would have banned civil unions.

Bee also worked to preserve state funding during a difficult budget session for Southern Arizona projects, including the University of Arizona and domestic violence shelters.

He has called for a method of approving temporary workers in U.S. offices in other countries to reduce the number of illegal border-crossers.

Bee has been endorsed by U.S. Senators Jon Kyl, the Senate Minority Whip, and John McCain, the Republican nominee for president.

Bee and his wife Grace have been married for 14 years; they have six children, one of whom they are adopting.

State Senator— Legislative District 30

Jonathan Paton—Republican

For the past four years, Tucson native Paton, 37, has served in the state House of Representative and says he has kept his promise of tackling illegal immigration by sponsoring and passing the nation’s first human smuggling law, which he says helped put more than 900 smugglers behind bars.

He has also championed reform of Arizona’s Child Protective Services system to protect children of abuse.

In 1996, Paton graduated from the University of Arizona summa cum laude with honors in German and Russian. He has studied in Germany as a Rotary exchange student; in Kazakhstan; again in Germany and in Moscow.

He enlisted in the U.S. Army Reserve in 1999 and served in the 5-104th Military Intelligence Battalion at Fort Huachuca. He was named “Soldier of the Year” for his battalion, brigade and eventually for the entire 104th Division in 2000. After being promoted to sergeant, he received his commission as a second lieutenant.

In 2005, after his first year in office, he was called up for active duty for six months in a new program called the Basic Officer Leadership Course, which combines infantry training and military intelligence training.

In July 2006, he was voluntarily deployed to Iraq; the announcement received national media attention.

The only state representative to be re-elected while deployed, he served as an intelligence officer involved in operations throughout Iraq. His tour of duty ended in February 2007.

Georgette Valle—Democrat

As a 24-year veteran legislator in the state of Washington House of Representatives, Valle, 83, has focused on water issues since moving to Green Valley.

She says no legislators representing the citizens of Southern Arizona have introduced any meaningful water legislation, and for the last 10 years the aquifer in Green Valley has steadily dropped.

Valle opposes the proposed Rosemont copper mine and has convened a group known as the Coalition of Water Activist Citizens.

As a legislator, she worked for 13 years opposing powerful tobacco companies and eventuallypassed the Washington Indoor Clean Air Act, which bans smoking in public buildings. She also helped pass the College Savings Act, permitting the purchase of bonds for a child’s future college education.

She is a student tutor with the Sahuarita Unified School District and donates the profits from her book “Always a Rebel and Never without a Cause,” to Sahuarita’s Education for Enrichment Foundation.

A former occupational therapist, she received a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Minnesota. She is married to Dr. Odd Valle, a retired dentist. They have two children and four grandchildren.

State Representative—Legislative District 30

Frank Antenori—Republican

A former Green Beret, Antenori, 42, was part of the U.S. Army Special Forces from 1988 to 2004. He served in Desert Storm and the Iraq war and received two bronze stars.

He has a Bachelor’s Degree in health science from Campbell University in N.C., is a nationally registered paramedic and attended the U.S. Army John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School at Fort Bragg, focusing on intelligence and operations.

In addition to aiming for quality education and access to the finest health care, Antenori is focused on lowering property taxes, solving the illegal immigration crisis and finding a long-lasting solution to the looming water crisis.

“The water issues will kill our economy in 15 years… there aren’t a lot of long-term thinkers in the Legislature now,” he said.

A program manager with Raytheon overseeing the development of hybrid vehicles for the military, he is president of the Pima County Public Library Advisory Board, is a Life Member of Veterans of Foreign Wars, and a member of the American Legion and Special Forces Association.

Supervisor Ray Carroll has endorsed Antenori and said, “Frank has the perfect background and temperament to be an effective member of the State Legislature.”

Antenori and his wife Lesley have two sons.

Andrea Dalessandro—Democrat

A former high school and Rutgers University mathematics teacher, Dalessandro, 61, went on to earn a Masters of Business Administration degree in accounting.

After becoming a certified public accountant, she worked for Price Waterhouse and several major corporations.

In 2005, concerned with what was going on in the Legislature, Dalessandro began traveling throughout District 30 to talk to residents and she also familiarized herself with state government by attending many sessions of the Legislature.

Dalessandro has been active in the campaign to end predatory lending and says she will work to end the cycle of irresponsible budgeting in the Legislature.

“As the representative of Legislative District 30 I intend to be the ears and the voice of the residents of the district,” she said.

Among her community involvements, Dalessandro is a member of the Valle Verde Rotary, the American Association of University Women, the League of Women Voters, the Coalition of Water Activist Citizens, and is an American Red Cross blood and platelet donor.

She is married to Andy, a former Marine Corps veteran who served two tours of duty in Vietnam. Dalessandro has one daughter, who is a neonatal intensive-care nurse, and five grandchildren.

David Gowan—Republican

Gowan, 39, says he is a true conservative who is 100 percent in favor of keeping marriage between one man and one woman, who has been endorsed by Arizona Right to Life, and is a life member of the National Rifle Association.

He advocates limiting government and promoting individual responsibility, reducing the state government, defending second amendment right and protecting Fort Huachuca and Davis-Monthan Air Force Base from possible closure in the future.

If elected, his agenda includes fighting illegal immigration on several levels: securing the border, denying driver’s licenses to illegal immigrants, prohibiting public benefits for illegals and requiring the arrest and deportation of those caught by Arizona law enforcement.

In his primary election statement Gowan said, “We need to elect Republicans who will be true to our party’s principles of limited government and personal responsibility… to elect Republicans who will defend our party and its core principles.”

He has a degree in education from the University of Arizona and is a Boy Scout leader in Sierra Vista, where he also teaches martial arts and Sunday school.

Gowan is a magazine sales representative, is married and has two children.

Pima County Attorney

Barbara LaWall—Democrat (incumbent)

“Public safety and offender accountability are my highest priorities. Despite continually increasing caseloads, our effectiveness and our conviction rate, especially at trial, remains exceptionally high,” says LaWall, 62, the first woman to be elected Pima County Attorney.

The 26-year veteran of the county attorney’s office said its conviction rate is 90.8 percent. Critics charge she takes too many cases to trial, requiring taxpayers to pay for more attorneys, when more cases could be plea-bargained.

Stating that “today’s children face an epidemic of guns, gangs, drugs and drive-bys”LaWall has implemented crime prevention programs, including 10 neighborhood Justice Boards.

Using 75 trained neighborhood volunteers, Justice Boards allow juvenile offenders to admit to their offense and accept responsibility. Sanctions and consequences are assigned that include restitution, community service, apology letters and programs to build competencies and reduce truancy.

LaWall’s campaign says Justice Board volunteers have donated more than 4,500 hours, achieving a 90 percent rate of compliance.

Among her proposed initiatives is a program to establish Victim Witness Offices and train crisis intervention volunteers in Green Valley and Sahuarita.

Brad Roach—Republican

“It is my belief and the fundamental tenet of my campaign that the position of Pima County Attorney requires justice… not politics,” said Roach, 37, who has had experience as a prosecutor, defense lawyer and law professor.

He says the current “system is designed to assure that defense attorneys in court have more information than prosecutors, leaving victims inadequately represented… the victim’s perspective will be my focal point.”

As a Deputy Pima County Attorney, he prosecuted cases in more than 100 jury trials. He was hired as a misdemeanor attorney and gravitated to prosecuting cases involving domestic violence. This led him to the Vehicular Offense Unit, prosecuting drunken driving offenses where injury or death resulted. He was promoted to the Special Victim’s Unit charged with prosecuting crimes against children, sexual offenses against adults and children, and felony domestic violence cases.

Roach left the County Attorney’s Office in 2005 to start his own firm. Though a successful private attorney, he missed the challenges and rewards of prosecution and became a prosecutor in the Ak-Chin Indian Community.

An adjunct professor at the University of Arizona College of Law, where he earned a Juris Doctor degree, he also holds a Masters Degree in economics.

He and his wife Marla have three sons.

County Supervisor—District 3

Sharon Bronson—Democrat (incumbent)

Seeking her fourth term, Bronson, 62, was first elected to the Pima County Board of Supervisors in November 1996.

She has focused on balanced, smart growth strategies and was instrumental in the development and implementation of the country’s award-winning Sonoran Desert Conservation Plan. The first woman to serve as chair of the Pima County Board of Supervisors, she has held the post twice for a total of six years.

Her leadership roles include being president of the County Supervisor’s Association of Arizona, president of the U.S./Mexico Border Counties Coalition, co-chair of Tucson Regional Economic Opportunities, and chair of the Neighborhood Coalition of Greater Tucson.

Bronson’s work has earned her numerous distinctions and awards, including a Special Recognition Award from the Arivaca Fire Department, an Appreciation Award from the Pima County Sheriff’s Department and from the Marana Unified School District, and a Women on the Move Award from the YWCA.

She has been endorsed by Gov. Janet Napolitano, Attorney General Terry Goddard, Tucson Weekly, Tucson Citizen, the Rincon Group of the Sierra Club, and the Pima County Sheriff’s Association.

Barney Brenner—Republican

A former New Yorker, Brenner, 56, has been a Tucson resident since 1972. Early on he opened an auto repair and parts supply business known as Barney’s Import Parts, which grew to a three-store chain.

After more than 30 years, in 2005, he sold the business and retired. Brenner became campaign manager in 1996 for David Morales, a former Marana Town Councilman and Legislative District 11 Chairman who made an unsuccessful run for the state Senate.

In 1999, Brenner walked precincts, gathered signatures and helped with fund-raising for Tucson Mayor Bob Walkup’s first campaign.

In 2000, he challenged Bronson, losing in a close race. The district was then remapped to include more Democratic precincts.

In 2001, Brenner was elected president of the Pima County Republican Club and held the office for three years.

Brenner’s agenda is to lower property taxes; provide proper funding for sheriff and law enforcement agencies, work to keep pornography out of Pima County public libraries and advocate good road maintenance and traffic system improvements.

He’s a black belt in American Tae Kwon Do karate, has a commercial pilot’s license for hot air balloon rides and has been a volunteer with Big Brothers/Big Sisters.

Brenner and his wife Sharon live in Tucson.

Pima County Sheriff

Clarence W. Dupnik—Democrat (incumbent)

A veteran of more than 50 years in local law enforcement, Dupnik, 72, has served as Sheriff of Pima County since 1980.

Since Dupnik became sheriff, the population of the unincorporated area of Pima County rose from about 191,200 in 1980 to more than 360,300 in 2007. The county now has six district offices and four sub-stations.

He has studied at the Keller Polygraph Institute in Chicago, the Southern Police Institute at the University of Louisville, and the Urban Affairs Executive Institute at M.I.T. and has been re-elected six times.

Dupnik joined the Tucson Police Department in 1958. He was promoted from patrol officer to major in charge of field operations. He left the TPD in 1977 to accept the position of chief deputy with the Pima County Sheriff’s Department, a job he held until appointed sheriff two and a half years later.

He oversees 1,500 employees and a budget of $111 million.

Among his accomplishments, Dupnik introduced the Drug Abuse Resistance Education (D.A.R.E.) program to elementary and middle schools to help children make better choices and played a key role in developing the quick-identification Automated Fingerprint Identification System.

Harry Shaw—Republican

Shaw, a Raytheon employee who has been a patrol officer, corrections officer and security manager, said the current administration is not keeping crime down and is not paying enough attention to illegal immigrants.

Shaw, 59, of Sahuarita, said, “I am running for Pima County sheriff because it’s time to reduce the rising crime rate, get tough on criminals and make our neighborhoods safe again. I can get this job done.”

At a Quail Creek Republican Club event in April, Shaw called the current illegal immigration problem in Green Valley “a border violation.”

“If elected, I intend to take full management. The present system is not working. There’s a greater influx of immigrants and there are more dangers.”

Dupnik said he would not overtax the criminal justice system. I would,” he said.

Honorably discharged from the Marine Corps in 1967, Shaw was a patrolman for the Coolidge Police Department and was in the top 10 percent of the Central Arizona Regional Law Officers’ Training Academy.

He has served as correctional officer for the Department of Corrections and patrolman for the Kearny Police Department. In Illinois, he was Account Operations Manager for security at the State of Illinois Center before, during and after Sept. 11, 2001. The building housed the governor’s office, State Supreme Court, Court of Appeals and other sensitive law enforcement agencies.

Shaw is married and has one adult child.

Arizona Corporation Commission

Three Democrats and three Republicans are vying for three seats on the five-member ACC board.

Sam George—Democrat

Joining candidates Sandra Kennedy and Paul Newman, who call themselves “The Solar Team,” George, 46, shares a vision that clean energy can end foreign reliance on oil, provide reliable energy and create a sustainable economy.

George believes solar energy can power not only Arizona, but also the nation, can fight climate change and can generate thousands of in-state “green” jobs.

As Arizona’s Deputy Secretary of State, George helped to write and pass the Arizona Voter Protection Act and the Clean Elections Act.

He is endorsed by U.S. Rep. Harry Mitchell and U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords.

If the three-person solar team is elected, it will achieve a Democratic majority on the ACC, ending 16 years of one-party rule.

The cost of Republican domination has been huge, George said. Electrical rates have skyrocketed and Arizona remains at the bottom of the nation in terms of renewable energy. Currently, less than 2 percent of Arizona’s electricity comes from renewable energy.

George is in agreement with Gov. Napolitano’s comment that Arizona can be “the Persian Gulf of solar energy” and said solar power generated in Arizona can power the state and lead the nation to Energy Independence.

Sandra Kennedy—Democrat

In a recent questionnaire, Kennedy, 48, was asked if the current requirement for utilities to generate 15 percent of their power from renewable resources, including solar and wind, by 2025 is reasonable. Her response was “I support the Renewable Energy Standard, which was long overdue when it was finally approved.

“It is more than reasonable and necessary to get our utilities to move in that direction. Arizona is behind its neighboring states in requiring and implementing such standards…other states are way ahead of Arizona in getting renewable energy going and the good sustainable jobs that come with them.”

Kennedy was elected to the Arizona House of Representatives in 1986 and served six years before becoming senator in 1992 where she also served six years.

Kennedy says she will promote clean energy sources that will also help reduce air pollution and water scarcity, that Arizona has enough solar resources to be energy independent.

In addition to numerous civic involvements, she is a business owner of Kennedy Restaurants and has one daughter.

Paul Newman—Democrat

Responding to the question asked of Kennedy above, Newman, 54, said, “as we move toward a future of energy independence, Arizona must harvest its greatest natural resource, the sun, and seek to become a solar exporter to meet the growing demand without being hostages to the volatile costs of fossil fuels.”

His primary goal is to be a true consumer advocate on the ACC, which means he will take into account the necessity of a fair rate of return for investors and also that he will listen to his constituents.

A three-term legislator in District 8, Newman has been an attorney since 1988 in both the private and public sectors. He has a Master’s Degree in administration from the University of Southern California and a Juris Doctor from California Western School of Law.

Newman shares a vision that clean energy means a sustainable economy that can avoid doubling of future utility bills. He believes that solar power, wind generation and other technologies can achieve energy independence for Arizona.

“The technology is here; what’s missing is political will,” he said.

Marian McClure—Republican

Elected to the Arizona House of Representatives in 2000, McClure, 66, must leave the House because of term limits. As a representative, she focused on security fraud and trying to protect the public from excessive fees by payday loan companies.

She has served as president of Tucson Republican Women, president and treasurer of the Arizona Federation of Republican Woman and in several county, municipal and military organizations.

Prior to being elected state representative, McClure was an account representative for Omaha National Bank. She also has experience as a senior loan officer.

“I have never forgotten the promises I made to the people of Arizona… as your Corporation Commissioner I will continue to protect the people by keeping your utility rates as low as possible. It is my responsibility to serve Arizonans with responsive government, less bureaucracy and a common sense approach,” McClure said.

Bob Stump—Republican

A member of the House of Representatives, Stump, 37, has pledged to put the interests of ratepayers and consumers first, protect citizens’ retirement investments and be an advocate for new water and energy infrastructure.

One of his goals is to pursue all avenues of energy production that are cheaper, cleaner and more convenient to produce. Stump has served on seven key legislative committees and has been a part of crafting several multi-billion-dollar budgets for Arizona.

He has served as House Health Chairman, and as a member of the House Water and Agriculture Committee, he has promoted important water-management policies.

Stump says he has received more than a dozen awards in recognition of his efforts to protect Arizona taxpayers and has the public policy experience, education and vision to serve on a commission that directly affects the lives of all Arizonans.

Regarding the current requirement for utilities to generate 15 percent of their power from renewable resources, including solar and wind, by 2025, Stump said, “I have opposed mandates in my legislative career and so I support realistically-attainable goals which can be adjusted according to marketplace conditions and technological innovation. The commission reviews the standard on an annual basis, which is appropriate.”

Barry Wong—Republican

In 2006, Wong, 49, was appointed by Gov. Napolitano to fill an open seat on the ACC. During his tenure he was involved with all aspects of commission work, including renewable energy, regulatory hearings, securities law, and railroad and pipeline safety.

While serving on the commission, Wong voted in favor of establishing the 15 percent energy standard.

“It was the right decision then as it is now. Renewable energy is important as part of the overall energy mix in Arizona which includes coal, natural gas and nuclear.

“Renewables in the long run will help stabilize electricity rates as well as providing a benefit of clean and reliable energy sources.”

A native Arizonan, Wong is a four-term member of the House of Representatives and has championed technology, renewable energy, higher education and small business.

He has a Bachelor of Science degree in accounting from Arizona State University, where he graduated Magna Cum Laude, and a law degree from the University of Arizona.

If elected to the ACC, Wong’s priorities include demanding diverse and reliable energy production and distribution; opposing excessive rate hikes; promoting renewable energy—solar, wind, geothermal and biomass—ensuring quality and reliable water and protecting citizens against investment fraud.

Ellen Sussman is a freelance writer in Green Valley. Contact her at ellen2414@cox.net.

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