Jan Brewer

As the TIME Coalition tries to fight its way back onto the ballot through the courts, there are a lot of questions being asked about how the Coalition - backed by Gov. Janet Napolitano and supported by some of the top political consultantcy firms in Arizona - found itself in this position.

The Coalition is trying to put a 1 cent sales tax increase before voters to pay for improvements in transportation infrastructure - an initiative the governor considers vital for Arizona's future. Yet Secretary of State Jan Brewer invalidated a large number of signatures collected in the effort, and unless the Arizona Supreme Court rules otherwise, TIME will not appear on the November ballot.

Much of the blame is being placed with Ziemba Wade, the relatively new but high profile consulting firm that was ultimately in charge of the campaign. Though not many political insiders are speaking publicly, behind the scenes there is talk that Ziemba Wade failed its first major test as a power in Arizona politics.

The TIME Coalition is taking its legal challenge to the Arizona Supreme Court, after a Superior Court judge ruled Wednesday in favor of Secretary of State Jan Brewer, rejecting TIME's attempt to reinstate signatures invalidated by Brewer's office.

Despite the setback, the judge also ruled TIME's complaint against the Maricopa County Recorder's office could move ahead. However, according to attorney Charles Blanchard, who is handling the complaint on TIME's behalf, reinstating signatures in Maricopa County alone won't provide enough to get TIME balloted.

According to Blanchard, the argument for appeal is due in the Supreme Court on Monday. The court will have to move quickly in order to have a decision by Aug. 28, the deadline for the ballot to be finalized. 

The TIME Coalition filed a complaint in Maricopa County Superior Court Wednesday to restore about 10,000 petition signatures that were deemed invalid by the Arizona Secretary of State and the Maricopa County Recorder's office.

TIME was hoping to put an initative on the November ballot that would raise the state sales tax by 1 cent to pay for improvements and expansion in Arizona's transportation infrastructure. However, the Secretary of State and Maricopa County ruled the initiative did not have enough signatures to qualify, after it found thousands to be invalid for a variety of reasons.

If Barack Obama were to beat John McCain, there is a very good chance Governor Janet Napolitano could be offered a job in the administration.  While it is very unlikely she would be offered the VEEP spot, there is a strong possibility her early loyalty would be rewarded with a cabinet position.

If Napolitano were to move on to Washington, Arizona’s political landscape would be tossed on its head overnight.  Look into the Inside Edge crystal ball as we predict what that week’s Winners and Losers would look like.  

If Barack Obama were to beat John McCain, there is a very good chance Governor Janet Napolitano could be offered a job in the administration.  While it is very unlikely she would be offered the VEEP spot, there is a strong possibility her early loyalty would be rewarded with a cabinet position.

If Napolitano were to move on to Washington, Arizona’s political landscape would be tossed on its head overnight.  Look into the Inside Edge crystal ball as we predict what that week’s Winners and Losers would look like.  

Winners

Jan Brewer
Not only would the secretary of state become Governor Jan Brewer overnight, she would then be in office as a sitting incumbent come 2010.

Dennis Burke
The governor’s Chief of Staff would almost certainly end up as the Chief of Staff to the U.S. Attorney General or Department of Homeland Security and would be on his way to D.C. 

Leezie Kim
Kim, who recently moved from private practice to become the governor’s general counsel, would be on a short list for a U.S. Attorney spot.

Pro-life movement
With Napolitano out of the way the pro-life community could start moving legislation forward with hope of it being signed by the governor. 

State Republican Party
If the party holds both the Senate and the House in November, the party would have total control over state government and could use it to their advantage in fundraising. 

Losers

Gubernatorial hopefuls on the Republican side
Mary Peters, Andrew Thomas and any other prospective candidates would now be facing an incumbent from their own party.  While someone may still step up to the plate and challenge Brewer, their job becomes a whole lot harder.

Randy Pullen
With Brewer in charge and gearing up for re-election she would more than likely want someone she trusts completely running the office that will be out to protect her and prevent a primary.

Terry Goddard
The Attorney General would become the highest elected Democratic official in the state, but assuming he is the nominee in 2010 he now has to challenge a sitting governor.  He would be trying to do something that hasn’t been done since 1966, unseat a sitting governor in an election.  And it should be noted that governor who lost re-election was Samuel Goddard, Terry’s father.

LGBT community
They lose the strongest advocate they have had in Arizona and would likely be facing a rollback of Napolitano’s executive order banning discrimination in state government based on sexual orientation.

Jim Weiers
It may seem weird to place a Republican Speaker of the House as a loser when a Republican takes over the governor’s office, but it’s true.  Right now Weiers gains his power as the leader of the opposition party.  With a Republican governor Weiers would lose that power and for the most part would need to follow the governor’s lead.

More Inside Edge

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.

A source close to Senator Jack Harper confirms he is indeed interested in running for state-wide office in 2010. Harper, a conservative Republican from Arizona’s 4th district, is serving in his 3rd term and would be term-limited in 2010. The office Harper is most likely to run for is the Secretary of State office currently held by Republican Jan Brewer. Brewer is in her 2nd term and is a likely gubernatorial candidate in 2010.

Secretary of State Jan Brewer said Monday that voter registration as of the Jan. 7 deadline had increased 28,316 since October.  There were 1,042,294 registered Republicans, 904,741 registered Democrats, 17,704 registered Libertarians and 748,331 voters registered as Independents. 

The Republican Professionals met tonight in Scottsdale with special guest Secretary of State Jan Brewer. The group held a Republican Presidential Primary Straw Poll and according to a source at the meeting the winner of the straw poll was Ron Paul, and it wasn’t even close. Paul supporters flooded the crowd to affect the polling results.

The deadline to register to vote for the February 5 Arizona Presidential Primary is midnight on January 7.  New voters may register online at Secretary of State Jan Brewer’s website, www.AZSoS.gov.

• Mary Peters - The Secretary of Transportation has resolved to come home to AZ and be more active in Republican events and campaigns. We are sure her resolution has nothing to do with a desire to run for Governor.

• John McCain - I resolve to the Republican activists in this state that if I lose the Republican nomination for President I will not seek another term as your US Senator, but only if you agree to support me in the February 5th primary so I am not embarrassed and lose my home state.

• Senate President Tim Bee - I resolve that I will finally decide to be a candidate for Congress and challenge freshman Congresswomen Gabrielle Giffords. Everyone got on me for taking so long, but I'm a busy man. All I needed was the week off between Christmas and New Year's to consider my options. It had nothing to do with the resign to run law.