Recalled Senate President Russell Pearce has filed paperwork with the Secretary of State's Office that would allow him to seek a return to the Legislature.
But Pearce told Capitol Media Services Thursday that any predictions of a campaign are premature at best.
"I'm getting pushed by a lot of people to run," he said. But Pearce also said he is enjoying his new role as president of Ban Amnesty Now as well as host of a weekly radio show on KFNX in Phoenix.
"I'm having fun with that show," he said.
What stirred up talk of a new Senate bid was that Pearce, like all candidates and elected officials, was required to file an annual report of campaign finances at the end of January.
Pearce noted that the new legislative districts have yet to be approved by the U.S. Department of Justice.
In the interim, lawmakers have set up a system so that candidate campaign finance filings can be made under either the old district designation or the new one. Pearce said he simply chose to use the new district number.
Pearce also reported he still has more than $31,000 in his account, including contributions he received before recall petitions were filed against him. Donations for that race, as well as spending on his unsuccessful bid to keep his office, are filed in a separate account.
He said, though, none of that is an indication of some future race, this year or beyond.
"This is technical stuff," Pearce said of the filing.
If Pearce decides to try to return to the Senate, he would not run against Jerry Lewis, a fellow Republican who defeated him in the Nov. 8 recall. That's because the maps crafted by the Independent Redistricting Commission have placed the two on different sides of the line.
But it would put Pearce in the position of having to wage a primary against incumbent Rich Crandall in whose district he now finds his house.
So far the cost of putting Pearce on the air every Monday night is being underwritten by BAN. Pearce said efforts are underway to find other sponsors.
Pearce said he has conversations with politicians and others involved in the movement to crack down on illegal immigration, including a few on the national horizon. There are, however, no phone calls from listeners.
Rich posted at 7:03 pm on Thu, Feb 2, 2012.
Somebody said it or something close to it, I refuse to look it up but it is something like 'Politics is show business for ugly people.' Few things recall a semi-quote as well as this.
Masterrogue666 posted at 7:31 pm on Thu, Feb 2, 2012.
From what I've read, Jay Leno:
http://www.chicagonow.com/taking-a-second-look/2012/01/politics-is-just-show-business-for-ugly-people/
I guess he's not "out of there" as much as some believed he would be....
Dale Whiting posted at 7:36 pm on Thu, Feb 2, 2012.
Or Rich,
There's "Fool me once, shame on you! Fool me twice, shame on me!" Or was it shame on "W"?
Will District 18 voters be fooled twice?
downtownresident posted at 7:39 pm on Thu, Feb 2, 2012.
OH NO!
Why didn't we invoke the vampire clause and kill this monster once and for all.
He's got the old, senile Mormon vote.
Russ, if you're really an American, fade away into the sunset.
CooperG posted at 8:00 pm on Thu, Feb 2, 2012.
Isn't his radio show an in-kind campaign contribution? JD Hayworth had to stop broadcasting. Russell has too as well.
Oh, wait. The rule of law doesn't apply to him. My bad.
Another reason to vote against him forever.
Rich posted at 8:01 pm on Thu, Feb 2, 2012.
mr 666,
Thanks for looking it up, knew I'd heard it somewhere. Didn't seem worth the effort, but Mr. Leno gets the credit.
k33j88 posted at 7:55 am on Fri, Feb 3, 2012.
Oh thank GOD------a voice of reason back for the good of our community.
Marcus Gallio posted at 10:05 am on Fri, Feb 3, 2012.
Rested, ready and back with a real attitude. Love it. Rudy Parrazz or whatever the @#$% that commie reconquista anarchists name is had better get his @#$% together. That 'BOY' is in big trouble now.
Accuracy posted at 11:42 am on Fri, Feb 3, 2012.
Arizona Republicans just elected Russell Pearce to a state party leadership role of GOP's shadow chairman. He then filed paperwork with the Secretary of State’s Office on Jan. 30 to run for the Senate in the new District 25, just two days after he was elected first vice chair of the Arizona Republican Party. He was also recently named president of the anti-illegal immigration group Ban Amnesty Now.
Then, Liberal Democrat Randy Parraz said; “I think it just shows that Russell Pearce has not heard the message loud and clear that his brand of politics is not what Arizona is looking for.”
Maybe not what “Open Border” Liberals are looking for . . . But certainly the brand of politics that Conservative Arizona Republicans are again looking for.
Marcus Gallio posted at 12:20 pm on Fri, Feb 3, 2012.
by this time next year RUDY RECONQUISTA will be locked up in Super Max Prison in Colorado where he belongs with all the other deadly Terrorists of the United States of America. Then all the CITIZENS of Arizona will be safe.
Rational Human posted at 1:09 pm on Fri, Feb 3, 2012.
The democrats wont be voting in the GOP primary, We republicans will vote for Pearce as our candidate, the democrat and/or independent candidates don't stand a snowball's chance in you know where of winning the election. It's like we told you all along. Pearce will be back as strong as ever, and you wasted well over 200k giving him a vacation. Now, aren't you libertards happy? lol. Liberal IS a form of mental illness that has no cure. The best we can do is try to limit it's socialistic/communistic spread. Fewer tards the better.
Irons1 posted at 1:52 pm on Fri, Feb 3, 2012.
If you really want Pearce that bad, you are neither rational or human. You make the case the conservatism is a form of illness, if you really believe that
retired03 posted at 2:34 pm on Fri, Feb 3, 2012.
hey rational, maybe the liberals got him out of office, and rightfuly so, but a republican replaced him and defeated him in a recall election, for a reason, the population of his district realized what an idiot he is. your buddy pearce is nothing more than a hate monger with his one man crusade against illegals. Problem is he never got the part about serving his constituents, thats everyone. As far as I am concerned there are too many mormons in politics as it is. Their loyalty lies with the church and not all of the population, just like pearce. And as far as him getting elected again, I doubt it seriously. He has pis@ed off too many people. Also, please come up with a knew name to call liberals. Calling them libtards is old and used way too much. Try getting some intellignce and coming up with something new. In other words, entertain us better.
Arizona Willie posted at 4:15 pm on Fri, Feb 3, 2012.
I love to see all the invading alien lovers screaming and moaning!! [beam]
Pearce will get my vote and maybe a few bucks.
Masterrogue666 posted at 7:36 pm on Fri, Feb 3, 2012.
Yes, AZ Willie, it's music to my ears!
Dale Whiting posted at 5:26 am on Sat, Feb 4, 2012.
Willie,
Where in my comment above [#3] I assumed Pearce would be running again from District 18, Accuracy has information which says its District 25. The article does mention that redistricking has yet to be approved by the DOJ. So perhaps you and Pearce might not be in the same districts? Or are you a neighbor of his? And where Accuracy seems sure it would be District 28, are we to assume the DOJ has approved of redistricting. Or is Accuracy premature?
Who knows? But then who cares! Now that Pearce has become a local talk radio personality and seems to be enjoying it, running for elected office might not be as profitable. At least all we have to do to avoid him is keep the dial on music!
Rational Human posted at 11:25 am on Mon, Feb 6, 2012.
A republican replaced Pearce by democrat votes. Lewis didn't get the majority of republican voters but did get 100% of the democrat vote. Democrat candidate refrained from running so that they wouldn't siphon off votes from their republican candidate, Lewis. But I would have expected you liberals knew at least that much. As to liberal being a form of mental illness, what else would you call a people that don't believe in God, have faith in evolution, yet go against natural selection by supporting abortion on demand and rights for the retarded. They push for a form of government that has failed miserably in every country it has been tried in, and denounce the very same economic system that built the great nation's wealth and actually want an open border flood of uneducated, ignorant criminals to invade our country. If that isn't insanity then I don't know if there even is such a thing.
Rational Human posted at 3:50 pm on Tue, Feb 7, 2012.
Dale, redistricting or not, your side is the losers side. Pearce has never been in the fight for money. He cares about Arizona and it's legal citizens of all color. You desire to paint his ethics as of a scoundrel only work for those that do not have a clue and vote democrat/socialist.