While the head of the Arizona GOP is asking gubernatorial candidates to play nice with each other, the head of the Pima County Democratic Party is asking candidates to play nice with each others campaign signs. As the primary contests wind down, the operatives are getting wound up.
On Monday, Dr. Don Jorgensen, Chair of the Pima County Democratic Party wrote members after he had been made aware “recent thefts and vandalism of candidate’s signs in Pima County.” Jorgensen referred letter readers to a picture of a sign from the Senator Oliva Cajero Bedford campaign, who is facing a challenge from Sal Baldenegro.
Jorgenson warned members, “Those responsible for such attacks are usually anonymous and we can never presume to know what individual or group might be responsible. We can and do ask that every candidate of every affiliation condemn such behavior and remind their supporters that acts of vandalism are unethical reprehensible and violations of Arizona law.”
He called on members to “win in 2014 by doing things right.”
Jorgenson advised members to avoid touching opponents’ signs and if they see one that is a threat to public safety, they should not touch it, but notify the City or County transportation departments.
A.R.S. 16-1019. Political signs; printed materials; tampering; classification:
A. It is a class 2 misdemeanor for any person to knowingly remove, alter, deface or cover any political sign of any candidate for public office or knowingly remove, alter or deface any political mailers, handouts, flyers or other printed materials of a candidate that are delivered by hand to a residence for the period commencing forty-five days before a primary election and ending seven days after the general election.
B. This section does not apply to the removal, alteration, defacing or covering of a political sign or other printed materials by the candidate or the authorized agent of the candidate in support of whose election the sign or materials were placed, by the owner or authorized agent of the owner of private property on which such signs or printed materials are placed with or without permission of the owner or placed in violation of state law or county, city or town ordinance or regulation.
One Republican lawmaker might have legal problems as a result of his sign tampering activity. According to sources, a Brewer endorsed lawmaker was caught on camera with another man stealing signs, which pointed out that he was one of the lawmakers who voted for Medicaid expansion. A report has been filed with authorities, according to sources.
In a letter this past week to the Republican Party’s gubernatorial candidates, AZGOP Chair Robert Graham advised them that he was receiving “an increasing volume of phone calls, emails and physical letters voicing Republican voter disappointment with the level of negative campaigning.”
Graham told the candidates that while voters “expect an aggressive and vibrant exchange of ideas” the “feedback regarding the personal attacks is overwhelming disappointment.”
“I worry our nominee will have such high unfavorability ratings that we will have a tough time winning, even with many favorable headwinds,” Graham wrote the candidates.