Albert Tom

State Rep. Albert Tom (D-Chambers) has withdrawn his nominating petition, ending his bid for re-election.

Tom's signatures were challenged by Democratic primary competitor Mark Haughwout, who is running for a House seat in the 2nd Legislative District. Haughwout contended, successfully, that many of those Tom got to sign his petition to get on the primary ballot were ineligible to do so.

According to an official at the Maricopa County Superior Court, where the challenge was to be heard, Tom withdrew his petition after it became apparent he did not have a sufficient number of valid signatures to get on the Democratic primary ballot.

Congressional candidate Mary Kim Titla: Campaign photoOn Friday, the Maricopa County Superior Court will hear arguments on whether to include or expunge hundreds of signatures gathered by state Sen. Albert Hale (D-Window Rock), state Rep. Albert Tom (D-Chambers) and 2nd Legislative District House candidate Chris Deschene, on the basis that the signatories gave post office boxes for their addresses.

At a press conference outside the Capitol, 1st Congressional District candidate Mary Kim Titla was joined by Native American activists, former 3rd Congressional District candidate Annie Loyd and Arizona Democratic Party officials to denounce the challenges as discriminatory toward Native Americans, many of whom live on reservations and don't have physical addresses recognized by the U.S. Postal Service.

"Every single one of them does have a physical address," said Tupac Enrique Acosta, who is director of the Phoenix-based Tonatierra Community Development Institute. Acosta said the post office is to blame for not finding a better way to handle addresses on reservations. "These discrepancies have existed... since Arizona and New Mexico were territories," he said.