Andrea Dalessandro

Legislative preview, House districts 26-30

LD26
It wasn't that long ago that LD26 tended to send Republicans to Phoenix. Just a few years ago Democrats even had a hard time fielding a slate of candidates. How times have changed. Republican Peter Hershberger and Democrat Lena Saradnik were elected to the seats in 2006.    

RITA RANCH -- Candidates for state House and Senate in Legislative District 30 met Thursday night outside of Tucson for a debate that was at turns lighthearted and intensely serious, as issues surrounding the Rosemont Mine development, the state's education system and tax policy predominated.

Senate 

The senate debate was hobbled by the absence of state Rep. Jonathan Paton (R-Tucson), who was out of state attending a conference on border issues. In his place appeared Ray Carroll, a Pima County supervisor, to face off against Democrat Georgette Valle.

RITA RANCH -- Candidates for state House and Senate in Legislative District 30 met Thursday night outside of Tucson for a debate that was at turns lighthearted and intensely serious, as issues surrounding the Rosemont Mine development, the state's education system and tax policy predominated.

The senate debate was hobbled by the absence of state Rep. Jonathan Paton (R-

Arizona Sen. Jim Waring (R-Phoenix) and Democratic LD12 candidate Eve Nunez, who have both turned in the maximum number of signatures allowable to Arizona Secretary of State Jan Brewer. Waring raked in 1,316, maxing out for a Republican in LD7, and Nunez's 1,132 signatures are the most allowed to be recorded for a Democrat in LD12.

Though filing only opened at the beginning of the month, a steady stream of filings have been presented to Brewer's office, and already some races are starting to take shape, in particular the House races for LDs 18 and 30.