Statistically, midterm years have lower turnout than presidential election years. We sincerely hope Sedona area voters reverse this trend and go out and vote on election day, Tuesday, Nov. 6, if they have not already voted early. Here is a run down of what local voters will decide.
United States Senate
U.S. Rep. Krysten Sinema [D-District 9], U.S. Rep. Martha McSally [R-District 2], Green candidate Angela Green and seven write-ins are running to replace retiring U.S. Sen. Jeff Flake [R] for Arizona’s Class 1 senate seat.
United States House of Representatives, District 1
U.S. Rep. Tom O’Halleran [D-District 1] is hoping to hold his House of Representatives seat against Republican challenger Wendy Rogers.
Arizona Governor
Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey is running for reelection against Democrat David Garcia and Green candidate Angel Torres.
Arizona Secretary of State (runs elections and is de facto lieutenant governor)
Democrat Katie Hobbs, the Arizona State Senate minority leader, and Republican Steven Gaynor, a California printing business owner, are running for Arizona secretary of state, who runs the state’s elections and is Arizona’s de facto lieutenant governor. Gaynor defeated current Secretary of State Michelle Reagan in the August primary.
Arizona Attorney General
Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich is running for reelection against Democrat January Contreras.
Arizona State Treasurer
Arizona Senate Majority Leader Kimberly Yee [R-District 10] is running for Arizona state treasurer against Democrat Mark Manoil, an attorney.
Arizona Superintendent of Public Instruction
Democrat Katie Hoffman, a speech therapist in the Peoria Unified School District, is competing for Arizona superintendent of public instruction against Republican Frank Riggs, a former one-term California congressman who has unsuccessfully run for the U.S. Senate in California and twice for Arizona governor.
Arizona State Senate, District 6
Arizona State Sen. Sylvia Allen [R-District 6] is running for reelection against Democrat Wade Carlisle, the vice mayor of Holbrook.
Arizona State House of Representatives, District 6
Arizona Rep. Bob Thorpe [R-District 6], is running for reelection against Republican Walt Blackman and Democrats Bobby Tyler and Felicia French. Voters elect two representatives.
Both Blackman and French are retired U.S. Army officers. Blackman was a frontline soldier while French was a medevac helicopter pilot.
Tyler is the current mayor of Holbrook.
A three-term representative, Thorpe convinced a Peoria lawmaker earlier this year to file a failed Arizona Attorney General’s Office complaint against the city of Sedona. After he claimed he did not have any emails regarding that request, Thorpe backtracked when we revealed we already had copies of his emails to the Peoria lawmaker in our possession. Listen to that phone call here.
Sedona Fire District Governing Board
Six candidates — Al Comello, Russ Demaray, Dwight Kadar, Eugene McCarthy, Joy Moore and Michael Schroeder — are running for three seats on the Sedona Fire District Governing Board.
Read the interviews here:
Yavapai College Governing Board, District 3
Incumbent Connie Harris is running against challenger Paul Chevalier for the Yavapai College District 3 seat. Read our endorsement of Chevalier here.
Propositions
There are currently six ballot propositions facing state and local voters.
Proposition 125
Proposition 125 would adjust certain benefits in the corrections officers’ and elected officials’ retirement systems to alleviate pension underfunding.
Proposition 126
Proposition 126 would prohibit the state and all political subdivisions in the state from imposing a new or increased tax on services not already in effect by Dec. 31, 2017. We have urged voters to vote for this proposition.
Proposition 127
Proposition 127 would replace Arizona’s current plan for increasing renewable energy use by imposing a new mandate requiring electric utilities to increase energy generation of “renewable energy” to 50 percent by 2030. The proposition excludes nuclear power because uranium fuel is not “renewable,” even though nuclear power is still legally classified as “clean.” For no apparent reason, the proposition explicitly excludes hydroelectric plants built before 1997, meaning Hoover Dam and a dozen others don’t count toward the energy mix, which could lead to large numbers of new dams being built by energy companies along Arizona’s rivers. We have urged voters to vote against this proposition.
Proposition 305
Proposition 305 would expand school vouchers — currently limited to students with special needs, students with disabilities, children in foster care and students in failing schools — to all students who want to attend private, charter or home-based schools. Public school educators fear vouchers could siphon per-student funds needed by public schools.
Proposition 306
Proposition 306 would prohibit candidates who finance their campaigns with public funding from the Citizens Clean Elections Commission from transferring campaign funds to a political party or private tax-exempt organization that attempts to influence elections.
Proposition 446
Proposition 446 proposes a Permanent Base Adjustment for the city, but would be moot until 2022 as Sedona voters recently approved home rule for the next four years.
Proposition 447
Proposition 447 is a continuation of the Sedona-Oak Creek School District budget increase override. The override does not raise taxes, it merely continues a previously-approved budget override to offset shortfalls in state funding. Funds from override are directed to supplemental programs that directly benefit our students, such as art and music programs, extracurricular activities, physical education programs, reimbursing the Sedona Police Department to have a school resource officer who serves on SOCSD campuses and helps reduce class sizes so teachers have more time allocated to each student. We have urged voters to vote yes and continue this override.
Our democracy depends on the voice of the people to shape our local, state and national government. No matter how and for whom you vote, please vote.
Christopher Fox Graham
Managing Editor
