By Julia Shumway | Arizona Capitol Times
Flagstaff Rep. Bob Thorpe announced he will abandon his run for the state Senate, bowing out of a contentious Republican primary in a northern Arizona district Democrats view as one of their best shots at flipping the state Legislature.
He instead plans to run for the Coconino County Board of Supervisors, in a seat now held by his friend Jim Parks, a retired cowboy who will seek election to the state House in an adjacent district. Thorpe’s departure narrows the Republican primary field to incumbent Sen. Sylvia Allen, retired Air Force Lieutenant Colonel and frequent candidate Wendy Rogers and businessman Edward Hampton, who filed to run but has not done any campaigning.
Thorpe told the Arizona Capitol Times he has been considering running for the Board of Supervisors for about a month, because Parks wanted to ensure a fellow Republican could take the seat. The pair announced their 2020 plans on a Flagstaff radio show on Wednesday.
