Phoenix Mayoral Election 2011

[PhxDowntowner]

Originally Posted by HooverDam

Huh? The PHX Mayoral race is in August and is non partisan, so that fact that Stanton is technically a Democrat and the others may be technically Republicans doesn't matter per se.

it's a fact that November is going to be Stanton vs. the prevailing Republican (probably Neely). the maths say so.

[combusean]

If money had that much to do with it, Stanton would be an also-ran. Mattox and Gullett would be number two and three by that metric but their campaigns are floundering.

In reality, the strength of campaigns lies far more in their volunteers and the raw personal strengths and capabilities of everyone involved.

[pbenjamin]

Originally Posted by gymratmanaz

Article in the Republic today was saying that Peggy Neely is the frontrunner, with also more money in a war-chest than anyone. How was this determined???

To be specific, it wasn't a news article but rather a column by Laurie Roberts, in whom I wouldn't put a lot of faith.

[gymratmanaz]

Good point.

[HooverDam]

Poll shows 52 percent of voters still undecided in Phoenix mayor's race

More than 50 percent of voters still don't know who they would vote for in the Phoenix mayoral race, according to a poll conducted by the public opinion firm Fairbank, Maslin, Maullin, Metz & Associates.

The poll, paid for by mayoral candidate and former City Councilman Greg Stanton, shows the race is still wide open among the six vying to replace Phoenix Mayor Phil Gordon.

The survey of 400 likely Phoenix voters was conducted in Phoenix between July 6 and 7 with a margin of error at +/- 4.9 percent.

Stanton came out on top in the poll, similar to what has been seen in other polls conducted this election cycle. About 20 percent of those surveyed said they would vote for him.

Here's how the other candidates fared:

Anna Brennan: 2 percent.
Wes Gullett: 6 percent.
Claude Mattox: 6 percent.
Peggy Neely: 11 percent.
Jennifer Wright: 3 percent.
Undecided: 52 percent.
Election Day is Aug. 30.

--Lynh Bui, lynh.bui@arizonarepublic.com

Welp good news is that Stanton is in a way early lead. I imagine a large percentage of those currently undecided voters won't end up voting anyhow.

[nickw252]

I got my Stanton yard sign and made my (small) campaign donation.

[trigirdbers]

"Meh, Even those that get into and graduate from the tip top of law schools, which Michigan isn't."

Top 10 doesn't count as tip top? Anyway, it takes a ton of raw intelligence to get into Michigan, especially back when Stanton went when it was, I believe one of the top 3 law schools in the country. With all the wingnuts running for office, its nice to have a strong signal that someone is rational and sane. You have to admit that Arizona politics has recently been lacking in rational thought on both sides of the isle.

[PhxDowntowner]

Does no one else think that those poll results are actually bad for Stanton?

In the runoff between Stanton & Neely (as taken from that poll), who do we think Brennan (2%), Wright (3%), Gullett (6%), and Mattox (6%) supporters are going to vote for?

My guess:
Neely = 100% of 11%
Brennan = 100% of 2%
Wright = 100% of 3%
Gullett = 70% of 6%
Mattox = 50% of 6%

Those assumptions lead to a head-to-head result of:
Stanton = 25%
Neely = 23%

Now, if you think that the majority of undecided voters are Republican (since Republicans have a much more complicated decision in this race), I don't see this poll being very positive for Stanton. In other words, Stanton supporters are going to have to show up in force and drag their friends to the polls, too.

[trigirdbers]

Originally Posted by PhxDowntowner

Does no one else think that those poll results are actually bad for Stanton?

In the runoff between Stanton & Neely (as taken from that poll), who do we think Brennan (2%), Wright (3%), Gullett (6%), and Mattox (6%) supporters are going to vote for?

My guess:
Neely = 100% of 11%
Brennan = 100% of 2%
Wright = 100% of 3%
Gullett = 70% of 6%
Mattox = 50% of 6%

Those assumptions lead to a head-to-head result of:
Stanton = 25%
Neely = 23%

Now, if you think that the majority of undecided voters are Republican (since Republicans have a much more complicated decision in this race), I don't see this poll being very positive for Stanton. In other words, Stanton supporters are going to have to show up in force and drag their friends to the polls, too.

You have to factor in that some of the people will get disillusioned and not bother to vote in the runoff when their candidate looses the first round. Turnout will be everything and Stanton seems to have the better organization.

[HooverDam]

Phoenix mayoral candidate Greg Stanton's funds in question

Campaign-contribution concerns being raised

21 comments by Lynh Bui - Jul. 21, 2011 12:00 AM
The Arizona Republic

More than $70,000 in mayoral candidate Greg Stanton's election war chest is being called into question, with concerns over whether the money should be considered an illegal campaign contribution.

Whether or not the money can be used for the campaign could have an impact on the Aug. 30 Phoenix mayoral and City Council election, where every dollar spent is an opportunity to reach voters who must choose from a crowded field of candidates.

The funds in question are tied to an embezzlement case in which Stanton's former treasurer, Mindy Shields, reportedly siphoned more than $70,000 from Stanton's previous City Council campaign - money that could be rolled over to fund his mayoral bid.


Shields is the daughter of Billy Shields, an influential Phoenix lobbyist and former president of the United Phoenix Fire Fighters Association, who loaned Mindy some of the money to repay the debt to Stanton's political committee. Mindy's mother, Maria, who is divorced from Billy, also loaned her daughter money.

But the legality of how the money was repaid has raised legal concerns. State law limits campaign contributions from an individual to $430, and some could argue that the repayment could be considered a single contribution exceeding donation caps, said Mike Liburdi, an attorney at Snell and Wilmer who worked for the Federal Election Commission in 2008.

"The reason why the law prohibits someone from just writing a $70,000 check to a campaign is to prevent that corruptive influence," Liburdi said. "I would not advise a client to spend any money received in excess of what the law allows."

Stanton and Billy Shields, however, say they handled the matter after conferring with several attorneys.

"This was discussed over a period of months about how this should be done appropriately, and I think it was done very carefully," Billy Shields said.

He said there may be some confusion, since earlier media reports made it sound as if he put money directly into Stanton's campaign account. Shields said his daughter has paid back about 20 percent of what she borrowed from him and her mother.

Earlier this year, Stanton said he took great pains to ensure his financial reporting has been transparent and addressed the missing money in his February campaign-finance reports.

Stanton's campaign would not comment on the concerns over the funds but issued this statement from election attorney Rhonda Barnes: "There is clear precedent that misappropriated funds may be reimbursed to a political campaign, including reimbursement from the parents of the alleged wrongdoer. The Stanton campaign has handled this difficult situation by the book."

While there is no state precedent on how to handle the missing funds, Stanton's attorney cites examples of three federal cases from 1992, 2005 and 2009 in which treasurers have misappropriated funds and repaid the debts. In these cases, the Federal Election Commission advised that the committees must be clear on how the money left the accounts and how they have been repaid.

Barnes argued Stanton should be able to "report the stolen funds as debt owed to the committee" and spend the money as any other campaign funds.

Mindy Shields was indicted by a grand jury on one count of felony theft in May, six months after Stanton discovered money missing from the political committee. She has pleaded not guilty and has declined to comment on the matter. She is scheduled to appear in court in August.

Liburdi questioned the involvement of a third party, Billy Shields and his wife, in the matter.

"The candidate's remedy is to go after the person who stole the money," Liburdi said. "You can't disregard the limitations on campaign contributions in order to right some wrong committed by another person."

The money in question has the potential to affect Stanton's race. For a mayoral race in Phoenix, $70,000 could buy a cable television ad. Or it could pay for a significant number of signs and mailers. Campaign signs average $25 to $35 each, while a mailer is about 45 to 55 cents - translating to 2,300 more signs or 140,000 mail pieces to voters.

The money is still sitting in Stanton's City Council political committee, and he has yet to roll it over to the committee he formed for his mayoral campaign.

Joe Kanefield, former Arizona elections director and an attorney at Ballard Spahr, said it is up to the City Clerk and City Attorney to determine whether everything was properly handled, although the federal cases Stanton's campaign cites are similar to the Shields case.

In February, Phoenix's City Clerk Department and Law Department declined to comment over how Stanton's campaign handled the finance filings and whether the money can be transferred to his mayoral campaign. The city attorney said it would require a formal legal complaint to review any concerns.

Kanefield declined to offer an opinion on whether Mindy Shields could be considered a "pass-through" of money to Stanton.

"These are important, legitimate questions that have to be asked, and that's what the election officials are tasked to determine," Kanefield said.



Read more: http://www.azcentral.com/community/p...#ixzz1SqKxeXai

Well it sounds like perhaps they did everything by the book and they'll be OK but I do worry this could harm the Stanton campaigns reputation.

[HooverDam]

Phoenix mayoral race has no clear favorite

Some say candidates lack big ideas for city

19 comments by Lynh Bui - Jul. 24, 2011 12:00 AM
The Arizona Republic

Phoenix is experiencing one of the most competitive mayoral elections the city has seen in nearly 30 years.

The past three mayors ran unopposed or slid to victory with an overwhelming majority of the vote. But with early ballots to be sent out next week, a clear favorite has yet to emerge among the field of six vying to replace Mayor Phil Gordon: Anna Brennan, Wes Gullett, Claude Mattox, Peggy Neely, Greg Stanton and Jennifer Wright.

"It's a very exciting time," said Michelle Bolton, vice president of public affairs and economic development for the Greater Phoenix Chamber of Commerce. "It's anyone's game at this point."


Some worry the campaign has been too narrowly focused, with candidates not talking enough about their vision for the future of Phoenix.

And there's been little excitement surrounding the race, which shouldn't be the case for the sixth-largest city in America, said Chip Scutari, a former Arizona Republic political reporter who runs a public-relations firm. While this year's mayoral race is competitive, Scutari said, he has yet to hear a candidate come out with a big vision or proposal to set Phoenix apart from other major cities.

Phoenix has the potential to be the "small-business capital" of the world with the growth of the solar industry, Scutari said. The city also has a chance to reshape the region by working with Tempe and Mesa on transit-oriented development along the light rail that would boost the economy and make the region an attractive place for people to live and work.

But candidates have struggled with being substantive while still trying to capture the attention of the electorate.

"People are starving for someone to roll out a road map for us to get there," Scutari said. "People are dying for leadership and vision."

For the most part, candidates have focused on whether to repeal the city's 2 percent food tax or how many positions to cut from the city's budget, Gordon said.

While becoming a more efficient city is important, candidates shouldn't be so narrowly focused, said Gordon, who doesn't plan to endorse anyone until the November runoff election.

"There's no new creativity," Gordon said of the ideas candidates are talking about in the race. "The mayor's race should be running on new ideas, not going back to what the city started 20 years ago or just building on areas the city has been working on for the last eight years."

Big ideas that previous mayors have rolled out include building the city's light-rail system and revitalizing downtown by attracting Arizona State University and a biomedical center to the city's core.

But a national cry for government reform and the demand for more "openness and transparency," mostly driven by the rhetoric of Councilman Sal DiCiccio, is largely why candidates have focused on the food tax, employee compensation and the influence labor organizations have over City Hall. He and many others argue that this is a campaign about protecting taxpayers.

DiCiccio said the city's budget is an important long-term issue, because an unsustainable city budget could impact the services and programs residents receive in the future. Cutting red tape will lead to more economic growth and make Phoenix more competitive - a vision in and of itself, DiCiccio argues.

"There needs to be a thorough housecleaning at City Hall," DiCiccio said.

Because Phoenix is the largest city in the state, it influences the direction of other cities and towns. So the next mayor must understand the importance of collaboration and regionalism, said Bolton, of the Greater Phoenix Chamber of Commerce.

Government reform, the regional economy and immigration are all issues voters will likely consider. But most important, Phoenix residents will have to think about who they want to set the city's direction for the next four years.

"This next mayor is going to have to turn around the economy and create the vision for the region to have us emerge out of this recession," Bolton said.



Read more: http://www.azcentral.com/community/p...#ixzz1T2acRO4o

I'm all for the Mayoral candidates having big ideas, and as far as that goes Stanton is clearly head and shoulders above the rest, but with our weak Mayor system its a moot point anyhow. I'm really not sure why they think there's no clear favorites, it seems its got to be Stanton v Neely at this point.

[HooverDam]

Looks like the Republic is doing a daily profile of each candidate....

Phoenix mayoral candidate Gullett: I have a vision

He touts specificity of jobs, tax plans

8 comments by Lynh Bui - Jul. 26, 2011 12:00 AM
The Arizona Republic

Wes Gullett is a man with a plan - actually several plans.

Gullett, a 50-year-old father of three, is a strategic planner and lobbyist by trade. His firm develops long-term communications, policy and public-affairs plans for clients including the Chandler Unified School District, the Homebuilders of Central Arizona, Phoenix Children's Hospital and the Arizona Cardinals.

Gullett hopes his experience outlining success for companies and non-profits will help him establish a vision and future for Phoenix as mayor.


"If you don't have a plan, you're being reactionary," said Gullett, who is running for mayor against Anna Brennan, Claude Mattox, Peggy Neely, Greg Stanton and Jennifer Wright.

Two components of his campaign include a "Seven Point Jobs Plan" and "Plan to Reform the Government and Eliminate the Food Tax."

While candidates pushing for a repeal of the food tax have suggested replacing the revenue by finding efficiencies in departments, asking for public input or cutting middle management, Gullett pored over the city's budget and searched for specific savings.

His ideas include modifying the retirement plan for managers, implementing a wellness program to reduce health-care costs and consolidating elections to save money in the City Clerk Department.

"Instead of just saying it, I thought you should go and find the numbers," Gullett said.

Gullett said he stands out among other candidates because he has never served on the City Council and will challenge the status quo. He has called Stanton, Neely and Mattox "professional politicians" and said they all should have reformed Phoenix during the years they were on the council.

Gullett has served as chairman of the city's Planning Commission, an appointed position, and has a long history in politics even though he has never been a member of the Phoenix City Council.

Before starting his firm FirstStrategic Communications and Public Affairs, he was chief of staff for Gov. Fife Symington from July 1993 to April 1996. He also worked for Sen. John McCain, in the U.S. Senate and during McCain's presidential run. His wife, Deb, has worked as a chief of staff for Mayor Phil Gordon.

Councilman Tom Simplot has known Gullett for 35 years and grew up with him in Iowa. Simplot said Gullett would bring a fresh approach to solving city issues.

"Wes' career and experience at the federal and state levels will be immensely important for the city of Phoenix as we move forward," Simplot said. "That's experience that none of the other candidates can bring to the table."

But Gullett's rivals have criticized his experience as a lobbyist, questioning whether it would be a conflict of interest for Gullett to stay involved at FirstStrategic as mayor, when many of the firm's clients may do business with the city.

Gullett said he would take a leave of absence from his company yet maintain 21.5 percent ownership in FirstStrategic. Gullett's partners also have agreed they would not take cases where they would have to lobby the city.

The conflict-of-interest laws are very clear that elected officials cannot vote on a matter if they will personally profit from that vote, Gullett said, adding that he would recuse himself from cases where he would see any gain.

Stanton is skeptical.

"It's completely inappropriate for the mayor of Phoenix to have a financial interest in a lobbying firm," Stanton said. "It sends the exact wrong message about your priorities, which should be what is in the best interest for the entire city."

Gullett contends that his professional experience makes him knowledgeable of how city processes work and how to create public-private partnerships, but it doesn't make him beholden to any of his clients.

He argued that his rivals - including Stanton - would run into the same conflicts since the people managing their campaigns also are lobbyists.

"If I wanted to make money, I'd stay where I am," Gullett said. "I'm doing this because things just can't stay the same. Things have to change."



Read more: http://www.azcentral.com/community/p...#ixzz1TG6fIKfw

....our boy Stantons is Sunday

[kevininlb]

Originally Posted by HooverDam

Looks like the Republic is doing a daily profile of each candidate....



....our boy Stantons is on Greg Stanton.

Wes was on 550am yesterday. I called in and specifically asked about his plans for downtown. I called in because he was critical of Mayor Gordon's work in downtown, which I thought was crazy. His point was that there is way too much red tape for companies to open an office/store/restaurant in downtown. He cited requiring vendors at First Fridays as an example of hurdles that discourage people from doing business in downtown. He also said he wanted to make it much easier for developers to build apartment buildings in downtown. By the time he finished answering my question, I totally understood his point. He wasn't knocking what has been accomplished; just that he wanted to make it even easier for business owners. Sounded good.

[HooverDam]

Reform, jobs key for Peggy Neely as Phoenix mayor

Ex-councilwoman eyes changes at City Hall

32 comments by Lynh Bui - Jul. 28, 2011 12:00 AM
The Arizona Republic

Peggy Neely has spent much of her life as a soccer mom, which partially explains why she always wants to win.

The mother of two and former Phoenix councilwoman describes herself as "strong-headed," "passionate" and a "straight talker."

The real-estate broker running for mayor says her competitive personality and decisive leadership style is what Phoenix needs to reform government and improve the economy.

"The thing that you will find in Peggy is that I'm a black-and-white person," said Neely (*1), who is running for mayor against Anna Brennan, Wes Gullett, Claude Mattox, Greg Stanton and Jennifer Wright.

Councilman Michael Johnson, who is endorsing Neely, said she has been aggressive in bringing jobs to her district and can do the same for the city.

During Neely's nearly 10 years representing northeast Phoenix, companies such as American Express, Republic Services and the Mayo Clinic Hospital have moved to or expanded in the district.(*2)

Neely said her job-creation efforts would have a more regional focus as mayor. During her time as chairwoman of the Maricopa Association of Governments, Neely helped push Maricopa, Pima and Pinal counties to start preparing for future growth in the "Sun Corridor," what planners say will become a megapolitan region connecting Phoenix, Flagstaff and Tucson economically.

"I've always had the philosophy that we need to look for good, quality jobs, and I'm always on the lookout to see if there is someone who can come, that we can recruit to Phoenix," Neely said. "But it's not only Phoenix now. It's the entire region."

Neely, who voted against the city budget for the past two years as well as the food tax in 2010, has called for more government reform, openness and transparency. Her campaign recently adopted an anti-union tone to convey her message about the need for changes at City Hall, and she has won the endorsement of the council's most fiscally conservative member, Sal DiCiccio. As a member of the minority on the council, it was difficult to push for change at City Hall, Neely said. As mayor, she would drive the agenda in a different direction.

Neely's detractors have painted her as too developer-friendly. They cite controversies in her district such as Sonoran Boulevard (dubbed the "Road to Nowhere") and a $97 million subsidy for the CityNorth development, for which the city was sued by the Goldwater Institute.(*3)

Before she left the City Council, residents in her district began a recall movement objecting to Neely's support of Sonoran Boulevard, questioning the project's ties to a zoning attorney backing her bid for mayor.

"She was trying to put the road to the footsteps of (developer) Westcor," said Clif Freedman, who filed recall papers against Neely and was part of a group of neighbors worried the north Phoenix road didn't connect to Interstate 17.

"She just blew us off and told us we were a bunch of NIMBYs (not in my backyard)."

Neely said the neighbors didn't want to compromise on Sonoran Boulevard and that the regional road had been planned with public input even before she joined the City Council.

Neely defends her decision on CityNorth, saying the development would have been successful if it weren't for the recession and would have brought 19,000 jobs to the region.

Neely acknowledges that, as someone in the real-estate business, she has support from zoning attorneys and developers, but she said that "shouldn't paint you as a friend of the developers."

"I'm supported by a whole lot of folks," Neely said.

"But I'm pretty strong-headed, too, so you're going to have to convince me that something is a viable project. And if I don't like your project, you'll know where I'm at. You're not going to get a flip-flop."

Peggy Neely

Age: 52.

Job: Real-estate broker.

Experience: Served almost 10 years as Phoenix Councilwoman for District 2.

Family: Married, two daughters.

Website: peggyneely.com

What is your vision for Phoenix? What big ideas would you like to see come to fruition in the next decade or two?

It is time for leaders to listen -- to work with the citizens of our great city to chart a course for a prosperous future. My vision is Phoenix as a regional and national leader. Phoenix should no longer accept a backseat in the area of public policy.

It must lead. It must lead in quality economic development focused on high-income jobs that are as diverse as our city. It must lead in transportation that is multimodal and serves as connectors to our neighborhoods and villages rather than dividers that create barriers and take away our sense of community. We must build bridges with other cities that foster regional cooperation on issues that affect everyone and that will benefit the taxpayers who pay the bills.

Our biggest focus must be on jobs, balancing the budget, and increasing transparency. At www.PeggyNeely.com, I have a comprehensive plan that will include several major initiatives.



Read more: http://www.azcentral.com/community/p...#ixzz1TRzFnO6R

*1. She refers to herself in the 3rd person?

*2. What do any of those things have to do with Neely? She didn't do anything to help bring jobs to her district, its just the happenstance of her district having open land and being in a wealthy area.

*3. Just bolded this section because its true, Neely would be the sprawl developers wet dream candidate. Bleck.

Also note, when asked directly about plans, big ideas, etc. at the end of the article she listed nothing. She said some generic platitudes, but nothing specific. Gosh that lady makes my skin crawl.

[HooverDam]

Phoenix Chamber debate to only feature four of six mayoral candidates

One of the biggest debates of the mayoral race will feature only four of the six candidates who qualified for the Aug. 30 ballot.

Wes Gullett, Claude Mattox, Peggy Neely and Greg Stanton were the only candidates who were eligible for the Greater Phoenix Chamber of Commerce's Aug. 15 debate. Anna Brennan and Jennifer Wright failed to meet some of the business organization's eligibility criteria, which included a requirement that candidates raise at least $50,000 in campaign contributions outside of their personal money.

The debate at Phoenix Symphony Hall is expected to be high profile. It will air live on television and radio, available for the entire Valley, not just Phoenix voters.

Wright said she hopes the chamber will reconsider and include her and Brennan in the dialogue.

“While I respect the private organization's choice to decide who can and can't be involved in the debate, I think it's unfortunate that the Greater Phoenix Chamber of Commerce chose to exclude a leading contender in the mayor's race for the important debate on August 15 simply because I hadn't raised $50,000 by June 1,” Wright said. “I believe the city of Phoenix and its residents deserve to hear from all candidates who qualified for the ballot.”

Wright, the "tea party" backed candidate, has stirred interested from hard-core conservatives with some pundits suggesting she could even be a "dark horse" candidate.

Michelle Bolton, vice president of public affairs and economic development for the chamber, said the group reviewed how televised debates were handled across the country and spoke with campaign consultants to determine eligibility requirements. Bolton said that as soon as candidates announced they were running for mayor, the chamber reached out to inform them of its plans for a debate and the qualifications for participation.

“It's rare for a televised debate to not have some level of criteria for participation,” Bolton said. “I think we succeeded in having objective criteria.”

Brennan said, "It's their loss because it's not going to be complete."

"We didn't put all this time to be shunned by the people who represent small business," Brennan said. "Shame on them. If they want to truly change business-as-usual politics, they're going about it the wrong way."

Doors open at 5:45 p.m., and the debate will go live for an hour beginning at 7 p.m., airing on both CBS 5 and KJZZ 91.5 FM on Aug. 15. The event is free and open to the public, though seats are limited. Visit

www.phoenixchamber.com/debate

for more information or to register.

I'm glad its going to be live on TV/Radio, but I wish it was online too. Maybe Ill be able to listen on KJZZ's website.

Phoenix mayor hopeful Greg Stanton says his priority is schools

31 comments by Lynh Bui - Jul. 29, 2011 12:00 AM
The Arizona Republic

Although the city isn't in charge of running school districts or monitoring student test scores, Greg Stanton says the next mayor of Phoenix should take a lead in improving education if the region is to be successful in the future.

More than any other candidate for mayor, Stanton has been vocal about making education a top priority to build a sustainable, diverse economy for Phoenix and the state.

"As our public schools go, so goes the future of the city," said Stanton, who grew up attending public schools in Phoenix and is the father of two young children. "We need to have a renewed commitment to downtown and higher-education partnerships."

Stanton, who is running for mayor against Anna Brennan, Wes Gullett, Claude Mattox, Peggy Neely and Jennifer Wright, served on the Phoenix City Council for nine years representing the Biltmore, Arcadia, and Ahwatukee Foothills neighborhoods.

Stanton, an attorney who is running for mayor full time, said he would "use the bully pulpit" of the mayor's office to advocate for Head Start and early-childhood education grants from the federal government, find ways to invest in after-school programs and create a "mayor's education roundtable" with mayors from across Arizona.

Stanton was an advocate for landing the Translational Genomics Institute in downtown Phoenix and said he also would continue to boost the city's biosciences industry as part of his economic plan.

Democratic U.S. Rep. Ed Pastor is endorsing Stanton because he says Stanton has a "clear vision for bringing high-wage jobs to the city" through improving education in Phoenix.

"The next mayor is going to have to have a long-term vision for Phoenix for the next 10 years," said Pastor, whose district covers most of central Phoenix. "Greg is committed to doing that by building a diverse economy with high-wage jobs, growing biotech, while at the same time ensuring small business can expand."

Polls show Stanton ahead in the race, and it is widely believed he will be a candidate who will make it to a runoff in November. Although the city race is officially nonpartisan, some political pundits believe Stanton has a leg up in the race because he is the only Democrat running, while the rest of the field will be splitting the conservative vote.

Stanton, however, says he has broad support from his former City Council district, which is heavily Republican, and that he's leading because he has a strong grass-roots campaign.

More than 2,000 donors have contributed to his campaign, and from January to May, he outraised all of his competitors.

"We have a relentless grass-roots campaign," said Stanton, who has been endorsed by state law-enforcement unions.

On the campaign trail, though, Stanton's rivals question his loyalty to the city, saying he bailed from the City Council when Phoenix had difficult budget decisions to make, to go work for the Arizona Attorney General's Office in February 2009.

"Greg's experience is limited because he left the City Council and is now standing on the outside telling us how it should be done," Mattox said. "If it was so important to you, why did you leave?"

Stanton, however, said during his work as a deputy state attorney general, he worked on statewide issues such as driving out predatory payday-loan stores, border issues and protecting Luke Air Force Base from further residential encroachment.

"It's going to make me a better leader and a better mayor as a result," Stanton said of his experiences with the Attorney General's Office.

"The mayor's job is different than a council member's job. It's the job I want, and I have no intention of going anywhere because I love this city."

Greg Stanton

Age: 41.

Job: Attorney running for mayor full time. Most recently served as deputy attorney general to Terry Goddard.

Experience: Former Phoenix councilman for District 6.

Family: Married with a son and a daughter.

Website: greg2011.com.

What is your vision for Phoenix? What big ideas would you like to see come to fruition in the next decade or two?

I'm a local kid; I grew up here in Phoenix. My vision for Phoenix is a city where kids can grow up in strong, safe neighborhoods, be able to access well-resourced public libraries, go to great parks surrounded by diverse cultural opportunities, attend excellent public schools, go to a great university here locally, and build a world-class career without ever having to leave for another city or state.

From day one in public leadership, I've made the case that Phoenix must develop a sustainable, diverse economy. To achieve this we need to:

- Make education one of our top priorities. This is the only way we'll be able to compete in the competitive international economy.

- Fully build out the biosciences campus. I was involved from day one of this initiative, and I would like to see it through to its completion. A commitment to this campus sends out a critically important message about our priorities for the future as a city.

- Work closely with the Scottsdale and Tempe leadership to make the area around Papago Park the hub that it should be. The Discovery Triangle has been a start to this approach, and I would love to see it through to fruition.

- Make Phoenix one of the most pedestrian-friendly cities in the country through a commitment to multimodal transport and initiatives to make the city more walkable and bikeable.

- Aggressively tackle chronic, family and youth homelessness in Phoenix. I have long been committed to this issue, and having served as the chair of the Continuum of Care Regional Committee on Homelessness for the Maricopa Association of Governments, it is one of the top ongoing issues facing this city that must be addressed.

- Lead the way to increase recycling efforts in Phoenix and look for ways to expand the city's recycling services outside of single-family residential homes. To become a national leader in green industries, we must foster a culture of green initiatives and green thinking in our city.

- Work to alter how our state is perceived. As the state's largest city, we must lead the way. To attract the outside investment and tourism that creates new jobs for our community, we must improve our reputation as a city and a state, and embrace the diversity that is one of the biggest strengths of our community.



Read more: http://www.azcentral.com/community/p...#ixzz1Th1pU9PU

[nickw252]

- Make Phoenix one of the most pedestrian-friendly cities in the country through a commitment to multimodal transport and initiatives to make the city more walkable and bikeable.

I'd be happy if he could make Phoenix a pedestrian friendly city.

[nickw252]

The AZ Republic has reported that Stanton has a big lead in early polling. About 38% compared to second place Neely with about 19%. Surprisingly, Tea Partier Jennifer Wright is at about 14%.

It's in this video starting at about 4:45:

http://bcove.me/86xzf5gp

[nickw252]

Who here has gotten their early ballot? I got mine on Thursday. My fiance, in the same house, has not gotten hers yet. My boss also hadn't gotten hers as of Friday.

Am I just special

[combusean]

I got mine yesterday.

[gymratmanaz]

got mine.....