It was recently reported on other blogs that Randy Pullen was given a near-unanimous vote of support to become State Chairman from the Maricopa Republican Party Executive Committee with only four nay votes. One vote was mistakenly attributed to the District 8 chairman as a nay vote. My source reports that there were only three nay votes: Chairmen from Districts 7 and 18, and 2nd Vice Chairman Steve Johnson. 20 or so committee members voted in favor of supporting Randy Pullen.
Apparently, neither Lisa James nor Randy Pullen were present at the event which was being held during a state GOP Christmas party. The results of the vote were announced just after Lisa James entered the room, and she appeared stunned by the news. Randy Pullen learned of the vote by phone soon after the results were announced.
Although the vote was not orchestrated by Randy Pullen, he was aware of it ahead of time and the outcome came as no surprise considering Pullen's tenure and broad appeal in the party. Lisa James, a relative newcomer to state politics, will find it difficult to overcome these attributes and her ties to McCain camp volunteers many of whom campaigned for Napolitano this past election.
Perhaps Pullen supporters were trying to send a message to encourage James to resign from the race.
Randy Pullen is thought to be holding a strong lead in most of Maricopa County and a slightly smaller lead in Pima and Pinal counties. A few Hellon loyalists who still smart from Pullen's victory over Hellon for the National Committeeman slot, will support James as an anti-Pullen vote. But Pullen appears to have strong Pima county-wide support.
If Pullen does not win by a landslide in January, it will be a surprise.
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5 comments:
A Pullen win puts the State Republican Party even further off the cliff! The outgoing Chair Salmon has given almost no leadership for progress. Pullen is out of the same bolt of cloth and a pawn of the East County. He is not welcomed to the RNC clearly showing no respect. Why should we continue the slide down further into ineffectual representation!!
Looks like the girls at the Harper Valley EGC are back to their old tricks.
Pullen is a fine candidate who certainly does not need this type of transparent manipulation.
Ironically, if Lisa James would have been left alone to run her race without all this vitriol, things may have gone smoothly.
These questionable backroom antics have not gone without notice.
It was not proper for the EGC to endorse either candidate.
It wouldn't suprise anyone, particularly Lisa James, that the EGC would endorse Pullen. Tuttle, Rutledge, Haney and the rest of the gang have decided that they would rather support a long-time moderate in Pullen because he happened to discover the immigration issue at the same time he decided to start thinking about running for public office (mayor). For whatever reason, Haney and gang ignore their own pro-life litmus test in supporting Pullen (well-known moderate on the issue based on previous races for office - he and his wife even gave $1000 to WISH - which Haney professes to hate with a passion, selectively, of course) at the same time Lisa James is well-known in her extremely conservative view on abortion - no exceptions except for life of the mother.
Also, I have been told that the LD 8 chair in fact voted no, and spoke out against EGC even doing an endorsement.
The fact that Pullen's boys in EGC thought they needed to endorse him only proves they know they don't have the race locked up.
I'm surprised that Pullen learned of the vote by phone, considering he was at the holiday party nearly half an hour before it began and was talking to various members of the EGC prior to call of order.
Pullen is a pro-choice moderate? Oh please... He was endorsed by Arizona Right to Life in his mayoral campaign and was introduced in his national committeeman's race by Right to Life's Executive Director.
Almost as funny as Lisa James being "well-known" for her extremely conservative view. Lisa James isn't "well-known" by anyone for anything, least of all her position on abortion. I've been at Right to Life events for years and I've never seen her at 'em.
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