Candidates for state offices

In the parking lot of Trail Dust Town several weeks back, folks wearing cowboy hats and driving trucks with AZ BEEF license plates showed up to hear the woman introduced as "one tough lady."

It gave Gov. Jan Brewer a chance to trot out her all-but-unused stump speech, since she didn't have to deliver it in the primary after her challengers dropped by the wayside, one by one.

She talked in generalities about the need to streamline state government. She touched on the possibility of privatizing some government functions. She said the state needs a more business-friendly tax code. And she boasted of protecting education in the midst of deep whacks to state coffers.

The friendly crowd of Arizona ranchers listened politely, but the applause started to swell only when she came to the issue that drew the national spotlight to Arizona - securing the border. Noting the president was suing the state while pasting up road signs warning travelers, she added scornfully, "That's not protection. That's surrender!"

Democratic opponent Terry Goddard, meanwhile, has been trying to change the subject, blasting her in near-daily press releases for shirking aggressive action to stem Arizona's woeful unemployment and foreclosure numbers.

At an accountability session last weekend with some 1,000 churchgoers, Goddard told listeners Brewer balanced the budget on the backs of Arizona's schoolchildren. Brewer brags about making the tough cuts, he said, while really, "She's made the mean cuts."

When a moderator interrupted to remind him he wasn't supposed to attack other candidates, he collected the loudest whoops and applause when he responded, "I don't consider the truth to be an attack."

This is Goddard's third rodeo. He lost in a February 1991 runoff to Fife Symington. A second bid in 1994 died when he came in second in the Democratic primary to supermarket magnate Eddie Basha. Tucson put Goddard first - he often talks about being born here - but it wasn't enough to stop Basha in rural areas.

Goddard acknowledges the first loss was difficult. He'd warned voters Symington's developments were at risk - a direct counter to the developer's boast that he'd use his business acumen to make the state stronger.

Goddard was accused of wallowing in mud when he raised questions about Symington's financial dealings, only to be vindicated years later when Symington's projects dissolved into bankruptcy and his governorship was cut short by an avalanche of criminal charges.

Goddard said what he heard from voters later - aside from, 'You were telling the truth' - is that they had a hard time distinguishing the two, with their Ivy League educations and high-profile families with notable lineages. Goddard's father, Sam, was governor, while Symington came from an old steel family.

"This time at least, nobody is saying that we're just alike," he said ruefully. "There shouldn't be any confusion in the voters' minds. And, of course, the other difference is that things are infinitely worse now."

Goddard, who ran a fairly vanilla primary race in 2004, has been coming on stronger this time around, describing politics as a "full-contact sport."

Some of his newfound assertiveness is certainly necessary. At one point early in the year, the only question about Brewer was which big-name Republican opponent was going to oust her. Lawmakers and party bosses were furious with her over the sales tax for education, drawing into sharp question her leadership skills. Then came the big win at the ballot box when voters overwhelmingly approved the tax. And then the biggest plum of all, SB 1070.

At a Tucson GOP unity event after the primary ended, Brewer drew some laughs when she confided, "When I heard the words, 'The United States of America sues Arizona and Janice K. Brewer,' I thought, 'How in the world did I get myself into this mess?' "

That "mess" gave her the chance to say she's not a quitter, which she's been saying at nearly every event she's attended, while trying to paint Goddard as a clone of the Obama administration.

For his part, Goddard said Brewer has made Arizona a full-time employment act for newspaper cartoonists and has questioned, albeit gently, whether she's got the intellectual firepower for the job. He's suggested she's "overmatched by her responsibilities" and postulated that may be part of why she's rebuffed future debates since parts of her first performance were shared all over the Internet.

"The lack of courage on her part - the lack of willingness - to come forward without her handlers, without her teleprompter, should be discouraging to everyone in this state," he said.

He said she just doesn't want to answer what's going to have to happen to education funding under her administration in the next budget session.

Since fiscal year 2008, the K-12 budget dropped from $4.3 billion to $3.4 billion. The program that builds schools plummeted from $532 million in that same time to $67 million.

"You don't get ahead by eliminating the programs that help build better futures," he said. "You don't willy-nilly get rid of all-day kindergarten, for example. You have to draw the line and say, 'I'm not going to sacrifice our schools and our kids.' "

Brewer doesn't disagree with Goddard's assessment of the economic situation. "The economy is really, really bad. It's an unfortunate situation that has continued to get worse," she said, calling jobs her No. 1 priority. She said people all over the state have been telling her they "want us to get out of the way and let them create jobs, and that's what I've attempted to do."

She doesn't disagree with his concern about a continuing budget slump. "It's not a surprise that we're going to have to streamline and that we have to get better results from the buck that we have." Noting there are only so many areas the state can tap for money, she said, "Education happens to be one of those areas. But I will tell you I have fought more than anyone to protect education."

She said the business community has been clear about the need to strengthen education, adding, "We know it goes hand in hand with recovery."

But she can't say now whether more cuts are coming to education. "I just know we have tough decisions to make and I just want to reemphasize that I have done more than anybody to protect education."

Asked whether voters who backed the sales tax would feel betrayed if the state went ahead and reduced corporate taxes but cut education, Brewer said the $1 billion in proceeds from the higher sales tax will go to education under the constitution.

But while she conceded there was no "maintenance of effort" requirement guaranteeing it went on top of existing funds, she said voters should not be concerned.

She also agrees with Goddard about revisiting the state's tax structure. She has said she wants business taxes to be more competitive, but said she'll hold off on releasing any targets until the Legislature comes back, since it will take a "team effort."

Still, she vehemently disagrees with Goddard that policymakers need to comb through some $9.5 billion worth of exemptions, commonly referred to as "tax loopholes," to come up with new revenues to stave off cuts. That's just code for raising taxes, she said, to give him his own private "sugar jar" to fund pet projects.

As far as debates, Brewer said she simply doesn't believe more are necessary. "I don't think people really learn a lot from debates," she said. Time constraints prevent anything but a superficial exchange of answers, she said, so she prefers to take her message directly to the voters.

Green Party candidate Larry Gist is running on a platform of creating sustainable, green jobs, while Libertarian Barry Hess said he's interested in dramatically paring back taxes, including eliminating the personal income, property and estate taxes.

Hess said putting money in the pockets of average citizens is a far more effective stimulus than any government initiative. "I believe such a move will not only restore some confidence in government, which is sorely lacking now, but will quickly and efficiently stimulate the economy in sectors the government could never hope to reach."

He said he also wants to remove regulations that are "strangling" private enterprise. "It's all about the money and jobs because without people working, there is no money to fund anything else - at all."

On StarNet: Find more election news at azstarnet.com/election

Jan Brewer

Party: Republican.

Age: 66.

Occupation: Governor.

Education: Radiological certification, Valley Medical and Dental School, California.

Public offices held: State representative, 1983-1986; state senator, 1987-1996; Maricopa County Board of Supervisors, 1997-2002; elected Arizona secretary of state 2002 until her appointment to the governor's seat in 2009.

Civic involvement: Is or was previously involved with ChildHelp USA, Hope and A Future, Arizonans for Children.

Top endorsements: U.S. Sen. John McCain, former U.S. Transportation Secretary Mary Peters, former Arizona Attorney General Grant Woods.

Top priority: To make the tough decisions necessary to return Arizona to a path of prosperity and fully accomplish the Arizona comeback story.

Website: janbrewer.com

Terry Goddard

Party: Democrat.

Age: 63.

Occupation: Arizona attorney general.

Education: Juris doctorate, Arizona State University College of Law.

Public offices held: attorney general since 2003; Central Arizona Water Conservation District 2000-2002; mayor of Phoenix 1984-1990.

Civic involvement: Chairman of the Peace Officer Memorial Board, member of the National Trust for Historic Preservation, member of the investment committee for the Community Investment Corp.

Top endorsements: Planned Parenthood, Arizona Education Association, Grand Canyon chapter of the Sierra Club.

Top priority: To rebuild our state's economy through recruitment, job training, targeted tax incentives and old fashioned, hands-on salesmanship.

Website: terrygoddard.com

Barry Hess

Party: Libertarian.

Age: 53.

Occupation: Currency trader.

Education: Bachelor of Arts in English, Fordham University.

Public offices held: Five-term precinct committeeman; vice-chair of the Libertarian State Committee.

Civil involvement: Served on the Help America Vote Act committee established by then-Secretary of State Jan Brewer. Otherwise, he wants to keep his charity efforts private.

Top endorsements: former Sheriff Richard Mack; former state Sen. Karen Johnson; David Nolan, founder of the Libertarian Political Party.

Top priority: Eliminating or cutting most taxes and removing regulations that are strangling private enterprise.

Website: HessForGovernor.com

Larry Gist

Party: Green.

Age: 65.

Occupation: Realtor.

Education: Bachelor of science in political science, Arizona State University.

Public offices held: None.

Civic involvement: State Board of Directors Arizona Special Olympics 1981-1985; currently an adviser with YMCA Youth in Government program.

Top endorsements: None.

Top priority: Did not submit.

Website: gist4governor.com

Contact reporter Rhonda Bodfield at 573-4243 or rbodfield@azstarnet.com

The two candidates for secretary of state both say they value election integrity. And they want a system where voters can cast ballots at any polling place, not jut the one they're assigned to.

Beyond that, they do not agree on much about the No. 2 position in state government.

Secretary of State and Republican Ken Bennett, appointed to the job when Jan Brewer became governor, is facing a challenge from state Rep. Chris Deschene, a Demo-crat. Each has pointed out faults in the way the other does his current job.

Deschene criticized Bennett over controversy involving candidates who filed last-minute write-in nominating petitions for otherwise uncontested Green Party primary nominations, which allowed them to qualify for the general election ballot with a single vote. The Democratic Party filed a challenge in court, saying they were "sham candidates" recruited by Republicans to confuse voters.

Deschene says Bennett should have called for a state investigation as soon as the candidates filed paperwork to get on the ballot - or at least after each of them received the qualifying vote in the August primary. Beyond that, he said, Bennett should have held a press conference to inform Arizona voters something questionable was happening with candidates.

Bennett says it is not his job to investigate why candidates are running, or whether they have the support of the political party they file with. It is the secretary of state's job to ensure the proper paperwork was filed to qualify for the ballot - which is what the office did, he said.

Because a judge ruled the candidates could remain on the ballot, it would have been an even bigger problem if he had refused to list them, Bennett said.

"We should not be applying some arbitrary or capricious test to decide who gets to be on the ballot,' he said. "The voters should decide who's going to represent them and it should not be decided by a politician who is trying to keep someone on or off the ballot."

While voter registration numbers split the state electorate by 38 percent Republican, 34 percent Democrat and 27 percent independent, Bennett has the financial advantage in the race.

At the last financial reporting deadline, Bennett had about $91,000. He is running as a Clean Elections-funded candidate, and received $500,000 for his campaign.

Deschene is raising his own campaign money. He brought in about $119,000 at the last report, and had about $13,000 left to spend.

Bennett was appointed in 2009 by Brewer. He was previously president of the state Senate and served a term on the State Board of Education and has a business in Prescott.

Deschene has served one term in the Arizona House of Representatives, for Legislative District 2 in Northeast Arizona. The Navajo Nation member served in the Marine Corps for 10 years, and is an attorney and engineer.

Bennett questions how Deschene can cite a history of serving the public when he missed 34 percent of the votes during the last legislative session.

"The voters of his district entrusted him to be their voice in the Legislature. Anyone asking to be secretary of state owes it to the voters to show up and do their job," Bennett said.

Deschene said he was at the Legislature for key votes, but there were times Republican legislative leaders put issues to a vote without enough notice for him to get to the Capitol from his district, six hours away.

"My constituency is pleased with my service. I have protected the concerns they have presented to me," Deschene said.

The two also differ on renaming the position "lieutenant governor."

As the state's chief elections officer, Bennett said he does not take sides on ballot propositions, but suggested changing the name could help voters understand the position is first in line to succeed the governor, as has happened four times since 1977.

But Deschene says when the state's chief elections officer is running on a ticket with the governor, the perception could arise that the person is impeding the election.

Bennett said Deschene should not have voted to send the initiative to the ballot if he thinks there is a conflict of interest in it.

Deschene said he did so because the voters should decide whether to change the state constitution.

Bennett said he has made some business filings more efficient and reduced the time it takes to approve business services requests.

As a small-business owner and legislator, Deschene said he understands the business- and state-records components of the job, and is prepared to manage them efficiently and openly.

Contact reporter Andrea Kelly at akelly@azstarnet.com or 807-7790.

The state's top lawyer will either be someone who has been banned for life from securities trading, or someone who has taken just two cases through jury trial during decades of legal work.

Those are the key details each of the two contestants wants you to know about the other in the highly acrimonious campaign.

The race to be Arizona's attorney general is between Republican Tom Horne, whose second term as superintendent of public instruction has nearly expired and who has worked as an attorney for 30 years; and Democrat Felecia Rotellini, a former civil and criminal deputy attorney general who was director of the state's Department of Financial Institutions.

Horne's top priority is to fight illegal immigration by vigorously enforcing Arizona's laws. He also would use the office to "create a legal environment that is conducive to business growth."

In addition to running his own law firm for 22 years, Horne has been a judge pro tem in Maricopa County Superior Court and the state Court of Appeals.

Rotellini's first priority is border security, but she also has focused her campaign on consumer protection and fighting financial fraud.

After working for 13 years as a deputy attorney general in the civil and criminal divisions, Rotellini left to work for a private law firm. In 2006, she became the head of the state Department of Financial Institutions. While in that position, she focused on mortgage fraud.

Both candidates are raising their own campaign money.

Horne has brought in almost $670,000 and had spent nearly all of it, with $575 left at the last reporting deadline. Rotellini had raised $419,000 but had more than $35,000 left.

They've both looked to capitalize on skeletons in each other's closets.

Rotellini has said she doesn't think SB 1070 went far enough, and it doesn't secure the border. She said during the primary campaign that she opposes the law.

Horne seized on that to point out why he - a 1070 supporter - would be better for the office.

"If you were hiring a lawyer to represent you, you wouldn't want a lawyer who opposed your position and said they would be in a pickle to have to defend you," he said. Her "pickle" comment was about Attorney General Terry Goddard having to defend the state's new immigration-enforcement law, she said. She has said since the primary campaign that she'd defend the law if elected.

She told Horne in a televised debate, "You know that when I take my oath as attorney general I will uphold the laws on the books and records, and that will include SB 1070."

Horne has also said he has a more substantial litigation background than Rotellini.

He's been an attorney for 30 years and has questioned Rotellini's self-characterization as a career prosecutor.

She has brought only two cases to jury trial in her 17-year legal career, he said.

"By claiming to be a veteran prosecutor, she's really defrauding the public," he said.

Rotellini points to six cases she tried with another lawyer when she was a private attorney, plus two jury trials she conducted on her own. She also cites 12 years of experience arguing bench trials, in which a judge, not a jury, decides the case.

Horne has said her explanation supports his argument.

Rotellini shoots back with her own analysis of Horne's preparedness for the job.

She highlights a settlement between Horne and the Securities and Exchange Commission 40 years ago, in which he agreed not to engage in securities trading. She says this lifetime ban is evidence he shouldn't be the state's top lawyer, and she released a video asking voters whether an attorney general candidate should be on the same list of banned traders as Bernie Madoff.

Horne says bringing up something so old is "a sign of desperation."

"There was no fraud involved," he said. "I tried to be entrepreneurial when I was in school. I was in over my head. I didn't have adequate books and records."

Rotellini also says she'd be better at keeping the office free of political partisanship and has accused Horne of being a career politician who can't work across the aisle.

Horne says that while he has served in the state House of Representatives and on a school board, his current education position is his first full-time public office.

"I have a strong record of bipartisanship," he said.

When he was in the Legislature, he worked with Democrats and faced criticism from the Republican party that he was a RINO - a Republican in name only. He said he supported former Gov. Janet Napolitano's plan to institute full-day kindergarten for all students.

Rotellini calls herself a political outsider because this is her first run for public office.

"I'm in this to be the attorney general and to make sure that office stays out of politics," she said.

One thing the office can't avoid, however, is the deteriorating condition of the state budget. With an $825 million deficit this year, it is likely more cuts will be made when the next AG is in office.

Felecia Rotellini

Party: Democrat

Age: 53

Occupation: Attorney

Education: Notre Dame College of Law: juris doctor, 1986; Rocky Mountain College: bachelor of science history and political science, 1981

Past elected public offices: None

Civic activities: Boys and Girls Club of Metropolitan Phoenix Foundation (1990-2000), president (1996-2000); Rancho Feliz charitable organization (1992-2002), volunteer and fundraiser

Top endorsements: Grant Woods, former Arizona attorney general; Dennis DeConcini, former U.S. senator; Clarence Dupnik, sheriff of Pima County

Top priority: Keeping Arizonans safe by securing the border and protecting consumers.

Web address: www.feleciaforarizona.com

Tom Horne

Party: Republican

Age: 65

Occupation: Arizona superintendent of public instruction

Past elected public offices: Paradise Valley Unified School District Governing Board; Arizona House of Representatives; superintendent of public instruction

Civic activities: Phoenix Symphony; Phoenix Library Advisory Board; State Pollution Control Hearing Board

Top endorsements: Arizona Highway Patrol Association; Arizona Police Association; Phoenix Law Enforcement Association

Top priority: Fighting illegal immigration. Federal government has not done its duty.

Web address: www.electtomhorne.com

Contact reporter Andrea Kelly at akelly@azstarnet.com or 807-7790.

The race for treasurer is usually utterly devoid of flamethrowers and fireworks. Emphasis on usually.

Remember the last race between current Treasurer Dean Martin and opponent Rano Singh? Nobody else does either.

But this year's battle to be the state banker pits a young, high-profile Democrat who worked in the Clinton White House against a Republican businessman who boasts of building Cold Stone Creamery from a handful of stores to a chain that marched across international borders.

Democrat Andrei Cherny, an ex-prosecutor, has blasted former Cold Stone CEO Doug Ducey for a series of missteps that he says call into question Ducey's fitness for public office, from paying property taxes late to missing deadlines on corporate filings.

"This race is about whether we're going to have a treasurer who fights for people and who plays by the rules, or one who has an unfortunate history of breaking the rules," Cherny said.

Ducey countered with charges Cherny is launching a smear campaign. He's linked Cherny to President Obama, noting his opponent co-authored the book detailing the then-presidential candidate's vision for America. He has pitched this choice to voters: Do they want an Arizona businessman who is new to politics or a consummate Washington political insider?

At a unity rally in Tucson immediately after the primary election, Ducey touted his business experience. "I don't have any political resume to tell you about," Ducey said. "My entire adult life has been spent in the private sector." Noting he is an entrepreneurial fellow at the Eller School of Management at the University of Arizona, he added, "I want to take that and apply my finance degree and take a business approach" to state government.

Under his watch, he said, his Cold Stone company built 1,440 ice cream stores in all 50 states and 10 countries. "That's the kind of economy I like," he said. "That's the kind of economy Arizona deserves."

Cherny counters that Cold Stone's growth came at a price. He points to a CNNMoney.com analysis of Small Business Administration loans from October 2000 through September of last year, showing nearly one third of the company's franchisees defaulted on their loans - the second highest of any national franchise.

Ducey said "by anyone's standard of measurement, Cold Stone Creamery is an Arizona and American success story." He said he focused on communications with franchisees and there was plenty of help for those who needed it.

"Our vision was that the world would know us as the ultimate ice cream experience," Ducey said, adding businesses that sell discretionary or luxury items, such as ice cream, are hardest hit by economic doldrums.

Ducey has apologized for the late taxes, but said while the corporate filings also were late, that paperwork was handled by paralegals.

"Those never came to my desk," he said. "This is the sideshow my opponent likes to create rather than talking about qualifications and background and ideas."

Ducey said his goal is to be a "good and prudent manager of our state's investments." He aims to bring clarity to the state's finances, by finishing on the online spreadsheet incumbent Martin has begun, to show taxpayers how government is spending its money. But Ducey also believes in a more active business recruiting role for the office, by working with the governor and being an ambassador of sorts to new companies.

"I'm an entrepreneur. I know how business people think," Ducey said. "I see no reason the treasurer can't play a role, working with other elected leaders, on a plan to grow our economy and attract companies to Arizona."

Cherny sees an active economic development role. Pointing to the $1.5 billion in the state's education endowment, he said he would like to focus those investments on Arizona companies, provided they meet financial requirements and provide a safe rate of return.

If the state can invest in Exxon, for example, it also can invest in Arizona companies such as First Solar. Although Ducey says that sounds "risky," Cherny has been careful to say he's not talking about "social" investing or investing in start-ups, but would pursue giving local companies a boost if all things were equal.

Cherny pitches himself as the "taxpayer's bulldog," saying he will audit state agencies, as well as the legislature and the governor's office, to seek out fraud and waste. Ducey says that's an overreach and said it's unrealistic with the office's 30 employees.

The race includes Libertarian Thane Eichenauer, who said Republicans and Democrats have no intention of reducing the scope of government. Among the reductions he'd back: stop incarcerating drug users and cut back on university funding. While he acknowledges those areas fall under legislative purview, he said the treasurer could use his office as a bully pulpit.

He doesn't have any background in investment or banking, he said. "The best qualification in my mind is that I have a realistic viewpoint on government," he said, adding he would also consult with other experts in the field in running the office.

Green Party candidate Thomas Meadows did not return calls seeking comment.

Contact reporter Rhonda Bodfield at 573-4243 or rbodfield@azstarnet.com

As Arizona schools chief Tom Horne readies to vacate the post he's held for eight years, two candidates are vying for the position of superintendent of public instruction. One is a former schoolteacher, the other a lawmaker.

Both say they want the best for Arizona's children, but the ways in which they intend to achieve that couldn't be more different.

Democrat Penny Kotterman taught in the classroom for 18 years and was president of the Arizona Education Association for six years. She has also worked in the development and implementation of education policy in the state.

Republican John Huppenthal is currently the Senate education chairman. He has authored and passed more than 200 bills, many of which were related to education.

Here is where they stand on a few hot-button topics:

• AIMS: Both candidates say they prefer to not have one centralized high-stakes exam.

However, Huppenthal believes it's unlikely that AIMS will go away and plans to focus on making sure it's an accurate measurement of student achievement.

Kotterman would like to see testing that shows whether students are progressing, not scores at one moment in time, and if they're measuring up to their peers.

Both believe there is a need to collect data from students. However, Kotterman would use that information for interventions while Huppenthal would use it to rank school districts and "galvanize them into action."

• English-language learners: Kotterman says she isn't a fan of the four-hour block of English immersion classes for students who need to learn English, which she characterizes as a one-size-fits-all approach.

"Kids are not all alike, they learn at different rates, they bring different experiences," Kotterman said. "There are other well-researched models for English-language learners we can take a look at."

Huppenthal stands by the four-hour block, saying it has resulted in a large number of students moving out of English-language-learner status and into mainstream classrooms.

• Budget constraints: School districts across the state have seen a reduction in state funding. The candidates differ on how much impact this has on offering a quality education.

The key to improving the quality of Arizona schools is investing the financial capital necessary, according to Kotterman.

Huppenthal has said this is not a problem you can simply throw money at. Rather, higher standards and accountability for school districts will do the trick.

• Ethnic studies: After visiting an ethnic-studies class last year, Huppenthal does not support of TUSD's ethnic-studies program. He said it undermines American values and feels all cultures can be recognized in a standard history class.

Kotterman has said she does not support going after a school district's locally defined curriculum. She believes history is enriched by talking about and exploring the diversity of cultures.

Contact reporter Alexis Huicochea at ahuicochea@azstarnet.com or 573-4175.

They know many voters don't understand what the mine inspector does, or why it's an elected position.

They know it's a relatively low-paid administrative job - $50,000 per year - overseeing an agency with only about a dozen employees and a tiny budget of $1.2 million.

Still, incumbent Joe Hart and challenger Manuel Cruz are managing a spirited statewide campaign for the mine inspector's position, drawing distinctions on a few issues as they drive from forum to forum.

Hart, a Republican, is an unabashed promoter of the mining industry who publicly supports the Rosemont copper mine proposed for the Santa Rita Mountains southeast of Tucson.

An employee of the Duval copper mine near Kingman for more than 20 years, Hart likes to say of his four children: "Not one of them has a student loan due to the mining industry."

"If the mine inspector can't advocate for mining in the state of Arizona, then who can?" he said in an interview Friday.

Cruz, a Democrat, said that as inspector he would have more of an arm's-length relationship with the industry. He takes a neutral stand on the Rosemont mine and doesn't think the mine inspector should publicly take a position.

Having a close relationships with the industry, he said, "keeps you from being objective to the duties."

"I don't think that's the job of the mine inspector."

The main duties of the mine inspector's office are:

• Conducting mine inspections.

• Conducting safety training.

• Approving or rejecting land-reclamation plans by mining companies.

• Dealing with the perhaps 10,000 abandoned mines through education programs, fencing and filling.

Asked about his main accomplishments as mine inspector, Hart cited the "Stay out, stay alive" education campaign intended to teach children to keep away from abandoned mines.

The department also has been able to have about 200 mines filled during his term, Hart said, but he said that isn't enough. The difficulty in doing more comes in finding out who is responsible for each mine, he said. The office's top priority is to fill abandoned mines on state land.

In 2008, Hart proposed filling old mine shafts with used tires, millions of which the state had seized from a recycler. A state Senate committee rejected the plan because of concerns over fires and water pollution.

Cruz also labeled as inadequate the number of mines filled during Hart's term and criticized the tire proposal. Cruz is proposing an "Adopt-a-mine" program to accelerate the process of filling mines. Under the program, individuals or other outside contributors could give money to have a mine filled, and the Mine Inspector's Office would oversee the project, he said.

Filling abandoned mines can cost anywhere from $200 to more than $1,000 each, Cruz said.

The Mine Inspector's Office has the power to levy fines against mining companies for violating safety regulations, but Hart said he prefers not to use that power - to be the inspectors in the "white hats."

"We don't make any big huge fines to people who have infractions," Hart said. "We're not punitive."

The federal Mine Safety and Health Administration, which also regulates miners' working conditions, is "extremely punitive," Hart said.

Cruz said he would like to increase safety inspections at mines, but that possibility is limited by the state's budget crisis. The office's budget dropped from $1.6 million to $1.2 million during Hart's term, Hart said.

Cruz is running as a Clean Elections candidate - a decision that Hart called financially irresponsible during this period of budget crisis.

Hart is funding his own campaign and has received thousands of dollars in donations from mining-industry groups, lobbyists and executives. For example, Jamie Sturgess, a vice president at Rosemont, has contributed at least $600. Other contributors include the Freeport-McMoRan Political Action Committee, the Rio Tinto America PAC, the Arizona Portland Cement PAC and the Arizona Rock Products Association.

Hart, a Kingman resident and native, also owns three radio and television stations in Northwestern Arizona and said he counts musicians such as Charlie Daniels as friends.

Cruz, who lives in Glendale, has five children and resigned from his job as a blasting engineer to run for the office, he said.

"Most people who qualify don't want to run," he said. "The pay's too low."

On StarNet: Find more profiles of 2010 ballot propositions and other election news at azstarnet.com/election

Meet the candidates

Joe Hart

• Running for: State mine inspector.

• Party: Republican.

• Age: 66.

• Occupation: Owner, three radio stations, three low-power TV stations.

• Education: Some community college, mining certificates.

• Past elected offices: Mine inspector. State representative, 10 years.

• Civic activities: Committee for Interstate 11, the Kingsmen (organized Kingman rodeo), Arizona Cattlemen's Association.

• Top endorsements: Gov. Jan. Brewer, Sen. John McCain, Sen. Jon Kyl.

• Top priority: Maintain the office at the current size or increase it.

• Web address: www.hart formineinspector.com/

Manuel Cruz

• Running for: State mine inspector.

• Party: Democratic.

• Age: 43.

• Occupation: Resigned as blasting engineer to run for office.

• Education: Glendale Community College, blasting certificate from Austin Powder Co.

• Past elected offices: None.

• Civic activities: Cesar Chavez program in Phoenix area, Sierra Club.

• Top endorsements: AFL-CIO, mine-safety professionals.

• Top priority: Mine-safety training and closing down abandoned mines.

• Web address: www.cruz forarizona.com/

Contact reporter Tim Steller at 807-8427 or at tsteller@azstarnet.com

Winners of the race for the Arizona Corporation Commission will help shape energy policy in the state for years to come, as the state looks to boost solar and other renewable energy sources while planning to meet future demand.

At stake are two four-year seats on the five-member commission, which regulates utilities, securities sales, corporations and railroad and pipeline safety.

Incumbent Commissioner Gary Pierce and former legislative leader Brenda Burns, both conservative Phoenix-area Republicans, are running against outgoing Democratic legislators David Bradley and Jorge Luis Garcia, both of Tucson, and Libertarian engineer Rick Fowlkes of Mesa.

The two candidates with the most votes will join Republican Bob Stump and Democrats Paul Newman and Sandra Kennedy on the five-member commission.

The candidates say they support boosting solar and other renewable energy sources.

But they vary in their approach on how to pay for renewable technologies and on how coal and nuclear resources fit in the picture.

The state has mandated that regulated utilities generate 15 percent of their power sales from solar and other renewable sources by 2025. Ratepayers pay monthly surcharges that help subsidize renewable-energy installations.

Pierce and Burns support the current standard, though Burns says she would seek other ways to fund the program amid rising surcharges.

"We need to make sure the ratepayer is getting the economic and environmental benefit," Burns said.

Pierce said he would leave the standard as is for now, noting that the popularity of solar power and declining costs have allowed the state to reduce individual incentives.

"We're getting more and more renewables - that's why I think we're going to blow by the standard, and then renewables will just be part of it," Pierce said, adding that utilities are doing a good job of promoting and developing renewables.

Democrats Bradley and Garcia say they would increase the renewables standard if possible.

Garcia favors an increase to 20 percent by 2025, arguing the move would help drive job creation.

Libertarian Fowlkes says that while he supports renewable energy, he would repeal the state standard because power generated from solar and other renewables is more expensive.

Surcharges for renewables will have to rise significantly to help utilities meet the standard, posing a hardship on ratepayers as well as smaller utilities, he said.

"In my view this is beyond the scope of the commission, to plan the energy portfolio for the utilities," Fowlkes said.

The Republicans see new nuclear-energy resources as a key part of Arizona's future energy mix, citing the relatively low cost of nuclear power generation and its constant availability.

However, Pierce and Burns opposed an unsuccessful move by the Legislature earlier this year to prompt the commission to count nuclear power generation toward the renewable standard.

Fowlkes says he supports new nuclear generating plants and would count them toward the renewable standard.

Democrats Garcia and Bradley oppose expansion of nuclear power in the state. Bradley cites escalating cost estimates for new nuclear plants.

Garcia questioned the safety of nuclear-waste disposal, noting that waste is piling up at plants such as Arizona Public Service Co.'s Palo Verge Nuclear Generating Station near Phoenix.

The Republicans and Fowlkes say nuclear plants can generate power far more cheaply than solar and other renewables, while current waste-storage safeguards are adequate and new technologies could reduce waste.

The next commission may revive a major issue of the past - whether to open the state's retail electric markets up to competition.

Arizona in 1996 adopted initial rules to establish a competitive retail power-generation market that would let customers choose providers. But those rules were scrapped in the wake of the energy crisis in California in 2000 - blamed largely on a botched deregulation plan - and a subsequent state court ruling striking down the rules as legally flawed.

Burns says she's open to reviving electric competition, citing success in other states, with proper safeguards for consumers. Pierce says he supports a move to competition provided the state's transmission system can handle it and the rules are revamped.

Bradley and Garcia oppose a move to a competitive power market, saying the potential benefits are not worth the risk.

"Before we got to that, we'd have to do some test markets and have some state rules that protect consumers," Garcia said.

Fowlkes has made reviving retail electric competition a top priority, saying competition will result in lower rates and encourage utilities to be more efficient. He said 17 states now have some form of retail electric competition.

Also appearing on the ballot are two Green Party write-in candidates, Theodore Gomez and Benjamin Pearcy, who have not campaigned and could not be reached for comment. Pearcy withdrew from the race after ballots were printed, and any votes he receives will not count, according to the Secretary of State's Office.

David Bradley

Party: Democratic

Age: 57

Occupation: CEO, La Paloma Family Services, state legislator

Education: Bachelor's in psychology, University of Maryland; master's in education, Old Dominion University; MBA, University of Phoenix.

Past elected public offices: State senator, 2003-11; state representative, 1993-97

Civic activities: Board member of the Arizona Center for Study of Children and Families, Tucson Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce government committee; St. Michael and All Angels Church

Top endorsements: Sierra Club, AFL-CIO, Arizona League of Conservation Voters

Top priority: Helping the state plan for future energy needs

Web address: www.bradleyforarizona.com

Jorge Luis Garcia

Party: Democratic

Age: 56

Occupation: State legislator, social worker

Education: Bachelor's in sociology, University of Arizona; master's in social work, Arizona State University

Past elected public offices: State senator, 2003-11; state representative, 1993-97

Civic activities: Board member, El Rio Health Center, Pima Prevention Partnership

Top endorsements: Arizona AFL/CIO, AFSCME Local 2960

Top priority: Keeping electricity rates down and expanding clean energy in Arizona

Web address: www.votegarcia.org

Brenda Burns

Party: Republican

Age: 59

Occupation: Full-time candidate, former real estate agent and consultant

Education:

Past elected public offices: State representative 1987 to 1994; state senator, 1995 to 2002, (four years as president)

Civic activities: Former board member, Faith House Domestic Violence Shelter; former chair, state Capitol Task Force and Arizona Capitol Broadcast Education Foundation

Top endorsements: Arizona Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Arizona Association of Realtors, Southern Arizona Home Builders Association

Top priority: "Meeting the needs of our growing population while keeping rates as low as possible"

Web address: www.brendaburns2010.com

Gary Pierce

Party: Republican

Age: 58

Occupation: Corporation commissioner since 2007,; former auto dealer and teacher

Education: Associate's degree, Mesa Community College; bachelor's in education, ASU

Past elected public offices: State representative, 2001-2006 (majority whip, 2005-2006); Yuma County Board of Supervisors

Civic activities: Salvation Army board member; former member, Maricopa County Transportation Advisory Board; Yuma Regional Medical Center Foundation board

Top endorsements: Tucson Chamber of Commerce, Arizona Farm Bureau, Southern Arizona Home Builders Association

Top priority: To protect Arizona residents from fraud and excessive rates

Web address: garypierceforarizona.com

Rick Fowlkes

Party: Libertarian

Age: 62

Occupation: Structural engineer, Fowlkes Enterprises Inc.

Education: Bachelor's in civil engineering, Tennessee Technological University; MBA in management, ASU

Past elected public offices: None

Civic activities: Chairman, Park Place Homeowners Assn. (Mesa) architectural and planning board; former member, Grandview, Mo., Planning and Zoning Commission

Top endorsements: None

Top priority: To open up the state's retail electric market to competition

Web address: rfowlkes.com

Contact Assistant Business Editor David Wichner at dwichner@azstarnet.com or 573-4181.