Debunking the "Forced" Primary Myth

The biggest common myth being thrown around during the AIRC (Arizona INDEPENDENT Redistricting Commission) drama is that the AIRC has (willfully) forced first term Congressman Ben Quayle (R-AZ 3^rd) and Congressman David Schweikert (R-AZ 5^th) into a primary battle in 2012.  This is the meme that the Arizona Republican Party, their “tea party” movement adherents and the Arizona Republic would like you to believe.  This dovetails nicely with the meme that the AIRC is being unfair to Republicans by (in the draft redistricting maps) only creating 4 “safe” districts for Republicans, the exact same number of “safe” districts they currently hold.

The problem with this myth that the AIRC is forcing two Republican congressmen to face off in a primary is twofold:

1.            In the eyes of the AIRC, by mandate of the voters, the Arizona 3^rd and 5^th Congressional districts ceased to exist as they are currently mapped the day the volunteer members of the AIRC took their positions.  In point of fact, the members are specifically forbidden to consider where a potential candidate lives.

2.            The United States Constitution provides no requirement that a person running for a particular congressional district has to reside in that district.  This means that a candidate for congress chooses which congressional district they want to run in, even they don’t live in that district.

Neither Congressman Quayle nor Congressman Scweikert is required to run against the other in a primary in any reformulated district.  They just both (at least publicly) desire to run in a district that includes north Scottsdale, a very affluent area.  Currently, only Congressman Schweikert currently represents all of Scottsdale as part of the Arizona 5^th Congressional District, including all of north Scottsdale.  Both candidates (as all incumbents, I would presume) want a “safe” district to run in.  Under the draft district map approved by the AIRC, all of the 3^rd CD and parts of the 5^th CD, including Scottsdale, would become the new 6^th CD.

The “new” 6^th CD would become a fortress for Republicans and that is why both Congressman Quayle and Congressman Schweikert want to run in that district, as formulated under the AIRC draft map.  To give you an idea of how “safe” this proposed new district will be, just look at the current 3^rd CD.  Even though Congressman Quayle’s Democratic opponent, John Hullburd, ran to the right of Mr. Quayle, Mr. Hullburd still lost.  Add in the very Republican northern areas of the current 5^th CD and no Democrat will be able to win the district, which is a shame, because I live in the current 3^rd CD and what is drafted to be the new 6^th CD.

Neither Congressman Quayle nor Congressman Schweikert wants to run on substance.  In fact, neither of them actually want to “run” an election campaign as they would both rather be assured a victory, preferably an easy one.  They just want to run in separate “safe” districts and are more than happy to demonize the AIRC for not “giving” them what they want.  Too bad only bloggers, such as myself, are pointing out the myth that the AIRC is somehow “forcing” Congressman Quayle and Congressman Schweikert to run against each other in a primary.

Beating Back the Coup: No Time For Rejoicing

On Thursday, the Arizona Supreme Court beat back an attempted coup of the Arizona Independent Redistricting Commission by Governor Janice Brewer, the Arizona Senate Republicans as well as Republican Congressmen Ben Quayle and David Schweikert.  As much as we who want competitive legislative and congressional districts wish to rejoice in this victory, we can’t.  The forces against us are well and secretly funded (FAIR Trust comes to mind) not to mention very motivated to preserve the status quo.  They have also gained an important ally: The Arizona Republic.

Those who want a permanent conservative Republican majority (and preferably a super-majority) in the Arizona Legislature and only conservative Republicans in Congress will go to any length to subvert the will of the voters.  As we saw before the Supreme Court reinstated AIRC Chairwoman Colleen Mathis, the conservative forces in this state were trying to pervert the process of choosing her possible replacement.  We also have statements by Republican legislators calling for a referendum to be put on the ballot in time for the Republican primary, where only registered Republicans can vote, that would put the redistricting process back into the grimy hands of the Republican dominated legislature.  Plus, we have the rumblings coming from Governor Brewer’s office that she may attempt to remove Chairwoman Mathis again this week.

The biggest threat to the conservative Republican stranglehold on Arizona is competitive districts.  That is why they are being subversive, devious and totally willing to fuck over the Arizona voters.  They will meet behind closed doors and plot their strategies all the while publicly condemning closed door meetings.  They will post photos of two people walking into a building in Tucson and falsely claim it is the Chairwoman of the AIRC and her “Democratic activist” husband (who by the way is a registered Republican) going to meet Democratic Congressman RaúlGrijalva.  And yes, they will try to use the political process once more to remove Chairwoman Mathis and possibly even the two Democratic commissioners.

We cannot sit back and allow them to stage another coup.  We cannot sit back and allow them to continue to pervert and corrupt the redistricting process approved by the voters.  We must marshal our words and our actions to protect the AIRC.  I for one am working on a voter initiative to strengthen the AIRC by removing the Governor and the Arizona Senate completely from the redistricting equation.  Each body has been given the opportunity to work with the will of the voters and have failed miserably.  They have shown the voters were right in creating the AIRC but were misguided in allowing the legislature even a small part of the process.

No, we must stand strong.   We must ignore the false pleadings of the conservative Arizona Republic Editorial Board for a “cooling off period”.  We must make sure that “tea party” conservatives are not the only ones seen or heard at the upcoming meetings of the AIRC.  We must make sure that Governor Brewer, the Arizona Senate Republicans and both Congressman Quayle and Congressman Schweikert are held accountable for their conspiracy to subvert the will of the voters.  We must remain vigilant.  We must remain steadfast.  And we must remain ready to do what we legally can to preserve the AIRC and its mission.

For if we do not, the past few years will have seemed paradise compared to what will come under permanent conservative Republican rule in Arizona.