AZ-5: Former Arizona House Majority Leaders Line Up to Support Knaperek

Former Arizona House Majority Leaders Line Up to Support Knaperek
Baird, Daniels and Tully all endorse Knaperek in CD-5 bid

TEMPE, Ariz. – Former Arizona House Majority Leaders Ernie Baird, Lori Daniels and Steve Tully today announced that they have endorsed former legislator Laura Knaperek in the race for the Republican nomination in Arizona’s 5th Congressional District.

“To have these three respected Arizona leaders lend their support to my campaign is incredibly humbling,” Knaperek said. “I had the honor of serving with Ernie, Lori and Steve and I can say without reservation that they were always interested in doing the right thing for Arizona and not in playing political games. I thank them for their support of my campaign.”

Ernie Baird, who served as majority leader from 1995 to 1997 said, “It was a great privilege to serve in the Arizona House of Representatives with Laura Knaperek. Laura was a reliable conservative voice, but also a pragmatist when it came to difficult issues. Her expertise on education and children’s issues was invaluable. Given the task of dealing with a complex issue, she knew how to gather the facts, marshal the support and develop a solution.”

Lori Daniels, House majority leader from 1997 to 2000, said, “I'm supporting Laura because I believe she’s honest, intelligent and hardworking; qualities that we unfortunately don’t see enough of in Congress. When we served together in the Legislature, she always stood strong for the taxpayer, and I know she’ll do the same in Washington.”

Steve Tully, majority leader from 2005 to 2007 said, “It’s a pleasure to endorse Laura Knaperek for Congress. Having served alongside her in the Arizona House, I can say without hesitation that we need more leaders in Congress like Laura who want to move this nation forward. Whenever I worry about the Republican Party getting away from its core values, it heartens me to know that we still have leaders like Laura working for smaller government, a strong defense and individual freedoms.”

Press release: Mitchell Uses Franked Mail to Pull Wool Over Voters’ Eyes

Harry Mitchell spends taxpayer dollars
in extreme makeover attempt


Tempe, AZ – Harry Mitchell attempted political plastic surgery last week when he used his taxpayer-funded congressional mailing privileges in an attempt to appear before voters as a fiscal conservative.

Unfortunately for Harry, Arizona voters are getting to know the real Harry Mitchell.

In a slick brochure complete with pictures and a tear-away survey card, Mitchell attempted to position himself as a taxpayer advocate.

But history tells us all we need to know about the real Harry Mitchell.

In 2005, Harry’s last full year in the Arizona Legislature, the Arizona Federation of Taxpayers called Harry a “Friend of Big Government,” with a bottom-scraping 27% rating.

By comparison, that same year the AFT dubbed his Legislative District 17 colleague and current Congressional District 5 candidate Laura Knaperek a “Friend of the Taxpayer.”

“If Harry were such a taxpayer advocate, he wouldn’t be spending his
constituents’ money on a campaign-style mail job trying to convince us he’s
being a good steward of our tax dollars,”

Knaperek said.

Knaperek said Harry’s history as a tax and spender is why a second term for him in Congress is of such concern to CD 5 voters.

“We can’t afford Harry Mitchell in Congress,”

Knaperek said.

“As soon as he thinks we’re not looking, he’ll vote
to raise our taxes. He supported sales and property tax hikes when he was
in the Tempe mayor’s office[1] and was only one of five senators to vote against
property tax relief when he was at the Legislature[2]. Once a tax and spender, always a tax and
spender.”

Knaperek, on the other hand, is a committed fiscal conservative, having shepherded the largest income tax rate cut in state history through the Legislature. She has also endorsed Congressman John Shadegg’s Reagan 21 program and pledged never to support earmark spending when elected to Congress.

[1] Arizona Republic, July 29, 1992
2 SB 1508, Third Reading, 1st Regular Legislative Session, 2005

Paid for by Knaperek for Congress