Secretary of state, school jobs up in the air

Likewise, Republican Diane Douglas had a slight lead over Democrat David Garcia in a tight race to become Arizona’s top education official — but both statewide races were too close to call.

Goddard, a former Arizona attorney general and Phoenix mayor, is attempting a comeback after losing in the 2010 governor’s race.

Reagan has the endorsement of most of the GOP political establishment, including Gov. Jan Brewer.

The secretary of state is Arizona’s top elections officer, oversees business filings and becomes governor if there’s a midterm vacancy in that office.

The campaign focused on issues including voting rights and Reagan’s voting record as a state lawmaker.

Reagan and Goddard took opposite positions on Arizona’s system of blocking voters using a federal registration form from casting ballots in state races.

Arizona set up the system and is using it for the first time this year after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled the state must accept a federal form that doesn’t require proof of citizenship. Arizona and Kansas are in court trying to force the federal commission that created the form to allow a proof-of-citizenship requirement.

Goddard said the state should have waited until the court made the decision instead of spending $2 million to set up a separate system that just 21 voters used in August’s primary.

Reagan said Arizona voters required proof of citizenship and the state had to act.

In the race to become Arizona’s top education official, Democrat Garcia was endorsed by traditional Republican groups. That is because some members of the GOP establishment are wary of Douglas’ plan to abolish the Common Core education standards.

Douglas upset incumbent John Huppenthal in the primary and believes Common Core is a classic example of government overreach that needs to stop. Garcia calls it an extreme and misinformed viewpoint, saying Common Core provides a benchmark for delivering a quality education.