Family and Arizona issues take priority
Rep. Russell Pearce (R-Dist. 18) has taken this means to advise his many loyal supporters that he will not be running for the CD 6 seat:
MESA, AZ. Jan. 1st, 2008 — State Representative Russell Pearce (R-Mesa) today announced that he will seek the District 18 State Senate seat in 2008. He also announced that he will not be a candidate for Congress in 2008.
“Luanne and I have been overwhelmed by the support of so many people who have encouraged me to run for Congress in District 6,” Pearce said. “But now is not the time for me or my family.”
“It is my continued honor to serve my constituents as a State Legislator because I feel I represent their views. It is clear that they do not get the same representation from their current Congressman, especially on issues relating to illegal immigration, and that has made this decision so very difficult. Ultimately it came down to this: I know that I will be more effective and have a greater influence on public policy issues important to Arizona as 1 of 30 in the State Senate rather than 1 of 435 in Washington, D.C.”
Pearce, who will be serving his eighth year in the Arizona House of Representatives and is Chairman of the Appropriations Committee, said that the lack of action by the federal government on illegal immigration is “unconscionable” and was a key factor in his consideration of a congressional bid.
“Perhaps someone else will step up to challenge the incumbent congressman to make clear that we are tired of his refusal to secure our borders and enforce our nation’s laws and his push for Amnesty to those who have violated our laws. In the meantime, I will continue to fight for what’s right at the State Capitol and represent my constituents to the best of my ability.” “I recognize my duty to a Constitutional Government and the Founding Principles of a Constitutional Republic, liberty and freedom established by our Founding Fathers.”
Pearce also announced that the current State Senator, Karen Johnson, was endorsing his campaign and that she would be deciding in the near future whether to return to the House of Representatives and continue her efforts to be the “Voice for the Family” or retire from public office.
Seeing Red AZ 
Sorry to read this. Many of us had hoped for the chance to finally elect a congressman who put the defense of our U.S.borders as a number one priority.
Washington’s loss is Arizona’s gain. Would have been nice to replace Flake with a quality Congressman, but at least we’ll still have Russell helping to make things better here in Arizona.
This is really a shame. Flake will think he has frightened off any comers and has a mandate to keep sticking his finger in our eye.
I live in the district and have come to detest Flake and his slipperiness. He’s as much an open borders/amnesty advocate as McCain and Kyl. Russell would have fought for the fence and the US citizens.
Russell Pearce is needed to stay ontop of Arizona issues. He is an irreplaceable stalwart. But the thought of his impact on Washington and especially our AZ congressional delegation, would have made my heart sing with joy.
Wow PolitickerAZ had this earlier in the week. i though they were full of it. GL Russell
Aw, Russell…we really hoped you would do this. You can’t even begin to imagine the support you have.
Since 2002 Jeff Flake seems to have frightened off all Democratic party challengers too — except for one idiot who’s trying to run against him.
As Russell Pearce found out, three-quarters of a million dollars in campaign contributions to Rep. Flake are pretty formidable.
That said, as an advocate of open borders and amnesty, I don’t understand why those of you who are Republicans are strongly opposed to Rep. Flake’s position don’t try to run against him.
Symbolic candidacies do have value. Some of you are eloquent in putting forth your position, and it probably does have majority support among the Republican voters in the Sixth Congressional District. Why not run against Jeff Flake on this issue?
For that matter, why is there no Republican running even a symbolic campaign against U.S. Rep. Ed Pastor? It is a shame to disenfranchise conservative Republican voters in his district who, unlike myself, are against his liberal Democratic views.
Contested elections are really vital in a democracy. That’s why some of us favor campaign finance reform; it should not be about money.
Whatever your views of Gov. Huckabee, he did win the Iowa caucuses despite being outspent 15-1 by Gov. Romney.
Ugh…the mighty midgets of the Arizona legislature are about to get even more embarrassing. Don’t any of you realize that even in conservative Republican circles, in other parts of the country this man is considered a backwards racist? He’s bad for the state, and his knee-jerk racism actually gets in the way of putting english-first policy into place and implementing it properly. Want the Mexicans in the country (yeah, lots of them are actually legal, guys) to speak english? Then stop blocking the funding for ELL programs.
I am voting for anybody that will get the illegals back across the border.
Russell Pearce is a true patriot and and wonderful representative for his Dist. 18 constituents.