By Tom Blodgett | Your Valley
A verbal altercation broke out that reportedly nearly turned physical July 15 at an Arizona Legislative District 14 Republican Party meeting in Gilbert.
The incident happened when an incumbent legislator invoked the name of a competing candidate’s son and said the son was “supposedly” a Gilbert Goon, part of the gang tied to the death of San Tan Valley teen Preston Lord and other incidences of teen violence.
That sparked the boy’s family to accuse Rep. Laurin Hendrix, R-Gilbert, of lying, after which the meeting quickly spiraled out of control of party leaders, witnesses said. Others said Hendrix actually was trying to say he did not wish to campaign on such an accusation, though one said he did so poorly.
The opposing candidate is Lalani Hunsaker, a longtime GOP operative and a precinct committee member. The district covers most of Gilbert.
