The Fifty First Arizona Legislature

Arizona, 

A red state where every statewide office is held by a Republican for the first time in the history of the state;

A red state where Republicans now hold every county wide office in Maricopa, Mohave, Pinal and Yavapai Counties for the first time in history;

A red state where Republicans hold every county wide office with the following exceptions in Cochise (1), Gila (1)and Graham (2) Counties;

A red state where Republicans hold more municipal offices than ever before in history;

has now returned to a purple legislature due to leadership that placed personal power and future office aspirations above Republican Party principles and the people of this state.

Speaker Tobin hatched a plan in cooperation with President Pierce and establishment lobbyists and organizations that strangled the Arizona Republican Party by diverting funds to his own IE PAC.  When you follow the campaign finance reports, it is clear that, as a rule, GOP conservative candidates were viewed as pariahs not worthy of being financially supported by this Speaker and, therefore, well qualified conservative candidates lost to inferior Democrat candidates that were funded by Democrat legislative leaders. 

The $25,000 still in the House Victory Fund and the $38,000 still in the Senate Victory Fund as of this date (in addition to nearly a quarter million dollars wasted in consulting fees PLUS doubled mailing fees), could have ensured the victory of at least two more Republican Senators and three more Republican Representatives. 

The Fifty-First Legislature will officially take office next Monday.  As we go through the next four months, we must ever be mindful of the process and hold accountable those who have diminished the ability to pass strong conservative legislation.  When those times occur - and they will occur - remember the improper self-serving actions of the Yavapai Yahoos in 2012.