By Neil Young
Mohave Valley Daily News
NEIL YOUNG/The Daily News
Approximately 30 people attended the Clean Elections forum for District 5 state legislative candidates, held Tuesday at the Bullhead Area Chamber of Commerce. TV2’s Bruce Clark moderated.
It was a unique situation. For the first time since 2004, none of the candidates present were incumbents. State Sen. Ron Gould and State Rep. Nancy McLain were term limited. McLain lost her race for GOP senate nomination. State Rep. Doris Goodale, running for a third term, was absent due to her husband Bill’s illness.
Attending were House candidate Sonny Borrelli (R-Lake Havasu City); House candidate Pamela Durbin (D-Lake Havasu City); Senate candidate Dr. Kelli Ward (R-Lake Havasu City); and Senate candidate Beth Weisser (D-Golden Valley).
Weisser, a teacher, said she is running to make sure education is adequately funded. She is prochoice and favors the legalization of marijuana.
Ward said, as a physician, she wants to keep government bureaucrats, big insurance companies, and lobbyists from coming between a doctor and her patient. She favors a “strong educational system,” and encouraging California businesses to relocate to Arizona.
Durbin said she’s running to reverse some things the legislature has done and to offer voters a choice. She said people talk about more government and less government, while she’s concerned with “effective government.”
Borrelli said service is a way of life for him, having served 22 years in the Marine Corps. He promised to “lead by example, with the same dedication” he had when wearing the uniform. He won’t “compromise the Constitution.”
Also: Mesa Democrats slam absent Republicans at debate/AZ Central.com
