With the 2012 elections mostly over, political addicts in Arizona are feeding their habit with talk about possible candidates for governor for 2014.
The race could have a court case as a chapter in its story: Gov. Jan Brewer, who completed the final year of former Gov. Janet Napolitano’s term and then successfully ran for a four-year term in 2010, continues to talk publicly about running for a third term, but that would require a legal challenge to the state Constitution, The Arizona Republic reports .
Arizona law permits statewide-elected officials to serve only two consecutive terms. “No member of the executive department after serving the maximum number of terms, which shall include any part of a term served, may serve in the same office until out of office for no less than one full term,” states Article 5, Section 1 of the Arizona Constitution.
Brewer has said there is “ambiguity” in the Constitution, saying she does not read it as barring her from serving two-and-a-quarter terms.
The Arizona Republic today published the names of people said to be leading prospects.
Republicans Mesa Mayor Scott Smith, Secretary of State Ken Bennett, Treasurer Doug Ducey, Attorney General Tom Horne, Sen. Steve Pierce and Mesa businessman Wil Cardon have been mentioned as possible contenders for the party’s nomination.
Pierce lost his Senate presidency last week, and Sen.-elect Jeff Flake defeated Cardon in the August primary.
The Democrats’ leading gubernatorial contenders include Rep. Chad Campbell, Phoenix Mayor Greg Stanton, former Arizona Board of Regents Chairman Fred Duval, and attorney Felecia Rotellini, who lost the 2010 race for attorney general
Smith, whom voters elected Mesa’s mayor in 2008, said he’s been approached by “a lot of different people who think that two years is not too far ahead to be thinking about a gubernatorial run.” He’s giving it “serious consideration” and said it’s tempting to want to duplicate statewide his efforts in Mesa on economic development and education initiatives. He quickly followed up by saying, “I’m very happy with what I’m doing,” The Republic said.
Asked about his interest, Horne said in a statement he has “always said that I expect to run for re-election for the AG’s office again. However, I am not going to rule anything out at this time.”
On the Democratic side, Stanton would talk only about how great his mayoral job is, while Campbell said he is seriously considering a run but he will not rush a decision.
