By Phil Riske | Managing Editor
(Disclosure: The author worked at Arizona Capitol Times 2002-2009)
After a stint at The Glendale Star, Jim Small began at Arizona Capitol Times in 2004, covering the Arizona House. After several years there, he moved into editor positions, including the Yellow Sheet Report.
Small is a frequent guest on KAET’s “Journalists Roundtable,” as well as on other media discussing state politics.
Arizona Capitol Times has been voted best newspaper of its circulation size two years in a row by the Arizona Newspapers Association.
Rose Law Group Reporter: What, if any, surprises did Tuesday’s elections hold for you and other political reporters?
Jim Small: By far, the biggest surprise for me was the record low turnout. That led to a more pronounced enthusiasm gap between Republican and Democratic voters, and in turn resulted in Fred DuVal getting drubbed by Doug Ducey. A higher turnout could have made several of the statewide races more competitive, if not led to victories for Democrats.
Did independent expenditures decide some of the results?
I’m sure they influenced some outcomes, though it’s always impossible to know for sure. Perhaps the biggest effect of the record outside spending is that it reinforced all of the reasons most people dislike politics and politicians – something that could well have been a factor in the depressed turnout.
Did it appear to you there was a lot of straight-ticket going among Republicans?
The fact that all of the Republicans won in statewide races indicates that many voters did vote a straight ticket. However, the disparity in votes between Doug Ducey and Diane Douglas shows that it certainly wasn’t universal for GOP voters.
Will the personality of the 2015 Legislature be any different from this year’s session?
The Senate will largely keep the same tenor, I think. Andy Biggs remains Senate president, and while there are new Republican caucus leaders – Steve Yarbrough is the majority leader and Gail Griffin is the whip – the tone of the chamber will be set by Biggs. Plus, the R vs D dynamic didn’t change any, and Republicans still have a 17-13 majority.
The House will definitely have a different personality, though, with David Gowan as its new speaker and an expanded GOP majority. While Tobin worked to protect House Republicans from criticism or controversy wherever possible, there is a belief that Gowan will be more political, and may use his position to force moderate Republicans to take stands on issues important to conservatives.
What do you think will be Senate President Andy Biggs’ top priority?
The budget. Biggs is a small-government crusader, and with the state facing a large deficit, balancing the budget figures to be an all-consuming issue for him and most every legislator.
Any private discussions about the possibility of increased taxes legislation?
Not that we’ve heard of, and certainly not from the people who would be in a position to make such a thing happen.
Any rumors as to who might be in Ducey’s cabinet?
Lots of rumors, but little certainty. There’s an expectation that many people on his campaign staff will move over to the administration, but it remains to be seen who will make that leap. One rumor that seems to have been shot down is that Glenn Hamer is leaving the Arizona Chamber of Commerce & Industry to become Ducey’s chief of staff He flatly denied any plans to do so.
How much pizza did you and your staff eat election night?
Ha! We had 10 people in the office, and the staff devoured 4 pizzas, plus a box of wings.
