District 6 Senate Seat Should Stay with PAMELA GORMAN!!!

Wed, October 8, 2008

Republican Pamela Gorman is right when she says District 6 is one of the most conservative legislative districts in the state.

It leans heavily Republican in voter registration, and voters in the most recent primary election preferred the most conservative candidates in the race.

Jim Larson, her Democratic opponent in the Senate race, is also correct in noting that the sprawling district is a lot like Arizona. It is large in size and diverse in that the district includes urban, suburban and rural areas.
District 6, as well as the state, needs a candidate capable of representing the core values of its voters and helping to move Arizona successfully beyond what is certain to be one of the most challenging economic struggles in many years. That would be incumbent Pamela Gorman.

Gorman, 39 of Anthem, has burnished her conservative credentials during her time in the Legislature, first for two years in the House and now for two years in the Senate.

She is a reliable vote for the conservative wing of the Republican caucus.

But while being guided by her conservative core, Gorman must, particularly during the next session, more forcefully and willingly reach across the aisle to help move Arizona forward. She articulates interesting ideas about critical issues facing Arizona, including transportation and economic development, and she shows skills as a lawmaking tactician.

It would be unfortunate for District 6 and the state if she allowed herself to be pigeonholed or marginalized as only a member of the “far right.” Candidates on the margins, even those who enjoy a huge voter registration advantage (District 6 is 44 percent Republican, 27 percent Democrat and 28 percent independent), can become vulnerable to a challenge.

Gorman has more to offer this year. The District 6 Senate seat belongs to her, and we hope, for Arizona's sake, she spends her next term being a fully engaged member of that body.