Former Democratic state Sen. Kyrsten Sinema has been elected to represent a new Phoenix-area congressional district, emerging victorious after a bitterly fought race that featured millions of dollars in attack ads.
Sinema had a narrow lead on election night that made the race too close to call. But she slowly improved that advantage as more ballots were tallied in recent days, and now has a nearly 6,000-vote edge that is too much for Republican Vernon Parker to overcome.
Sinema becomes the first openly bisexual member of Congress. Her victory came in a year when three states approved gay marriage, and at least five openly gay Democrats were elected to House seats. A Wisconsin congresswoman also became the first openly gay person elected to the Senate.
Parker was criticized by Democrats as a tea party radical who would hurt children by cutting the federal education department.
Republicans countered saying Sinema was too liberal for the newly created district and doesn't understand stay-at-home moms.
Parker took the national stage briefly in September when he gave the GOP weekly address. He focused on stopping expected tax hikes and developing a tax code he said would help the economy grow and prevent jobs from being sent overseas.
Sinema said she had the ability to work across party lines. She said she developed the skill during her eight years in the state Legislature, where she was always in the minority. She also said she was committed to women's issues.
One other congressional race remains undecided in Arizona. Rep. Ron Barber, the hand-picked successor to Gabrielle Giffords, had a lead of a few hundred votes over Republican Martha McSally in the Tucson-area district.
The district where Sinema won covers parts of Phoenix and several suburbs, including the small, affluent town of Paradise Valley where Parker was once mayor.
Republicans had a slight registration advantage but both parties' totals were exceeded by independents. Many believe the district leans Democrat.
The district was drawn as a result of population growth revealed by the latest census. It covers parts of Phoenix, much of Tempe, home of Arizona State University, and sections of other East Valley suburbs, including Scottsdale, Mesa and Chandler.
Accuracy posted at 1:18 pm on Mon, Nov 12, 2012.
Former Democratic state Sen. Kyrsten Sinema defeats Republican Vernon Parker in Arizona Congressional District 9 race . . . by nearly 6,000-vote edge.
---------------------------------------------
“Many believe the district leans Democrat.”
“The district was drawn as a result of population growth revealed by the latest census.”
---------------------------------------------
The redistricting, by the Arizona Independent Redistricting Commission (IRC), was “contentious” from the beginning.
U.S. Constitution empowers only elected lawmakers to set congressional district boundaries in the state. The IRC did not have the authority to draw the state’s political boundaries – and that’s why the Supreme Court should eventually take up the question to settle the redistricting dispute in Arizona.
Accuracy posted at 1:20 pm on Mon, Nov 12, 2012.
Former Democratic state Sen. Kyrsten Sinema defeats Republican Vernon Parker in Arizona Congressional District 9 race . . . by nearly 6,000-vote edge.
---------------------------------------------
“Many believe the district leans Democrat.”
“The district was drawn as a result of population growth revealed by the latest census.”
---------------------------------------------
The redistricting, by the Arizona Independent Redistricting Commission (IRC), was “contentious” from the beginning.
U.S. Constitution empowers only elected lawmakers to set congressional district boundaries in the state. The IRC did not have the authority to draw the state’s political boundaries – and that’s why the Supreme Court should eventually take up the question to settle the redistricting dispute in Arizona.
phxvato1202 posted at 1:43 pm on Mon, Nov 12, 2012.
So you didn't get who or what you wanted so now the supreme court has to rule on this??? I wonder why
CSalafia posted at 3:01 pm on Mon, Nov 12, 2012.
Accuracy -
The Constitution says no such thing about "empower(ing) only elected lawmakers to set congressional district boundaries in the state". It only delegates how many districts a state is to have based on the census.
Perhaps you should read it.
Mike McClellan posted at 4:47 pm on Mon, Nov 12, 2012.
csalafia is right on the button about the Constitution. Here's the only clause in Article One concerning elections:
"The Times, Places and Manner of holding Elections for Senators and Representatives, shall be prescribed in each State by the Legislature thereof; but the Congress may at any time by Law make or alter such Regulations, except as to the Places of chusing [sic] Senators."
Accuracy is simply parroting the legislative Republican argument that went nowhere in the courts.
Accuracy posted at 6:29 pm on Mon, Nov 12, 2012.
Mike McClellan posted: “Accuracy is simply parroting the legislative Republican argument that went nowhere in the courts.”
----------------------------------------
Concerning redistricting, by the Arizona Independent Redistricting Commission (IRC) – to give district slightly friendlier to Democrats – lawsuits challenging the maps and the process still remain unsettled.
The suits hold, that while both the U.S. and Arizona Constitution require that legislative districts be equal (as practicable) in population, the legislative districts created by the IRC are unjustifiably unequal.
And in September, the Arizona Independent Redistricting Commission Amendment DID NOT make the November 6, 2012 ballot in the state of Arizona as a legislatively-referred constitutional amendment.
Mike McClellan posted at 6:39 pm on Mon, Nov 12, 2012.
Uh, Leon, states do indeed have that power, but as you should know, Arizona voters back in 2000 gave that power to an Independent Redistricting Commission.
All your caps don't change that reality, or the reality that Accuracy was, indeed, inaccurate.
But since you're suggesting searching on the computer, let me suggest a search applicable to your comments:
Look up "Mark Twain" and "keep your mouth shut." Then take his advice.
Ateam1 posted at 7:58 pm on Mon, Nov 12, 2012.
WOW! What a role model she is!!! Congrats to CINEMA!
Deddzone posted at 11:35 pm on Mon, Nov 12, 2012.
Leon, come on....she won and it's over. FYI to those who keep calling everything they do not agree with "socialist, marxist... etc". It backfired big time and the GOP/TP is in massive turmoil.
Deddzone posted at 11:40 pm on Mon, Nov 12, 2012.
Leon, come on....she won and it's over. FYI to those who keep calling everything they do not agree with "socialist, marxist... etc". It backfired big time and the GOP/TP is in massive turmoil.
Engaged Voter posted at 9:46 am on Tue, Nov 13, 2012.
It just burns our local religious nuts that an ATHEIST was elected in place of their candidate.
Funny how the article goes so far as to mention her bisexuality but neglects to mention the main reason the religitards are all frothing at the mouth. ;)
Icebot posted at 10:27 am on Tue, Nov 13, 2012.
@Engaged Voter
It aggravates people even more because she grew up LDS and denounced it and moved to a non-theist stance.
VofReason posted at 12:54 pm on Tue, Nov 13, 2012.
Hmmm a bisexual with a mouth like a sailor. I think she pretty much represents the culture of the people of that new district. What happen to the Democratic party being the one so accepting of minorities? Guess it is only the ones who need them.
Leon Ceniceros posted at 3:34 pm on Tue, Nov 13, 2012.
MIKE....BEFORE TYPING.....ENGAGE BRAIN.
REMEMBER A LITTLE PROPOSITION 106, BACK IN 2000. IT WAS AN INITIATIVE THAT TOOK AWAY THE POWER OF THE ARIZONA LEGISLATURE TO DRAW CONGRESSIONAL BOUNDARIES WHEN IT CREATED THE....."INDEPENDENT REDISTRICTING COMMITTEE".
ONLY "PROBLEMO".....THIS WAS UNCONSTITUTIONAL. THE US CONSTITUTION CLEARLY STATES THAT ONLY LEGISLATURES (THE STATES) CAN DRAW CONGRESSIONAL BOUNDARIES. MIKE, YOUR PRESIDENT, BARACK HUSSEIN OBAMA, HAS SAID OVER AND OVER AND OVER THAT ONLY THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT CAN ENACT IMMIGRATION LAW AND REFERS TO THE "SUPREMACY CLAUSE" OF THE US CONSTITUTION (MIKE, YOU AND YOUR LIB FRIENDS MIGHT WANT TO TAKE A MINUTE AND "READ" THE US CONSTITUTION....Y'ALL MIGHT LEARN SOMETHING).
WELL IF THE "SUPREMACY CLAUSE" APPLIES TO IMMIGRATION LAW...THEN SURELY IT APPLIES TO THE DRAWING OF CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT BOUNDARIES......[smile]
Leon Ceniceros posted at 3:39 pm on Tue, Nov 13, 2012.
ON ANOTHER NOTE....
ISN'T IF FUNNY HOW THIS PAPER AND THE OTHER LIBERAL NEWSPAPERS AND TV NEWS PROGRAMS ACROSS THE STATE WENT AFTER ......"REPUBLICAN" .....PINAL COUNTY SHERIFF PAUL BABEU FOR BEING HOMOSEXUAL !!!
BUT IT WAS ...."HANDS OFF" ....THE FACT THAT....MS. SINEMA WAS ....."BI-SEXUAL".
ANOTHER EXAMPLE OF THE..........LEFT-WING, LIBERAL BIAS IN OUR LOCAL NEWS MEDIA.