In what one Legislative District official called a “repudiation of the fringe forces,” the Pima Republican Party re-elected Chairman Carolyn Cox for another term. She was challenged by a man fresh off an unsuccessful attempt at legislature Todd Clodfelter.
Clodfelter urged the Ron Paul supporters to give the Pima GOP and Cox “a chance” before they start looking to make a third party. To which another LD10 resident said, “They make up a fraction of the Republican party, nothing is going to change because it doesn’t need to. They need to join the Libertarian Party and get out of our way.”
The moderate wing or what some people refer to as the “establishment” took nearly all the elected spots by large vote totals.
Only John Lesko, considered by some to be a strong Libertarian, won narrowly in a run-off against Tea Party leader, Ralph Kayser.
“We have a great team to move us forward for sure. Yes, we have indeed been infiltrated by Libertarians but we prevailed,” said Mike Ebert, former vice-chair of the GOP. “I do hope they got the message and just went off to get their party going instead of trying to make us their home with their false promises and failed agenda. We do need fresh faces but not those with false messages. Today we move forward with a team we can believe in. We have work to do and we have a team to do this. Today was a good day.”
Pat Sexton, the president of the Tucson chapter of the Arizona Latino Republican Association easily won in her race for Member At Large. Sexton won 253 votes, with the closet candidate Sean Brearcliffe earning 170. Five Members At Large were elected: Patricia Sexton 253, Sean Brearcliffe 170, Linda Barber 176, Parralee Schneider 157, and Robert Westerman 162.
Tyler Mott, head of the Young Republicans, won the position as 1st Vice-Chair.
Chair
Carolyn Cox 215
Todd Clodfelter 157
1st Vice-Chair
Tyler Mott 225
Ken Moyes 160
2nd Vice-Chair
Alan Beuerlein 233
Delmas Dawley 139
3rd Vice-Chair
Robert Moss By Acclamation
4th Vice-Chair, 1st Vote
John Lesko 143
Ralph Keyser 130
Mike Ebert 102
4th Vice-Chair Run-Off Vote
John Lesko 135
Ralph Keyser 127
Secretary
Shellie Simler 236
Brieanna Peipelman 136
Treasurer
Ed Miller 241
Linda Felter 133
Member At Large (5)
Sean Brearcliffe 170
Mikki Niemi 82
David Newsome 34
Patricia Sexton 253
Michael Tyree 43
Linda Barber 176
Morgana Galaway 149
Kenneth Miller 36
John Olson 70
Thomas Pyzdek 114
Kenneth Rineer 120
Parralee Schneider 157
Robert Westerman 162
Katherine Yeniscavich Rudd 100
Juanita Lange 124
“Some have said this was a vote against those folks who are considered to more Libertarian than Republican, I disagree,” said Walt Stephenson, former member of the Pima GOP Executive Committee. “The voters told the Republican Party across the Nation on November 6 that we had better take another look at our priorities and how we do business. A vast majority of the Precinct Committeeman in Pima County heard them loud and clear. They elected the best and brightest to carry the Republican Party forward to both the 2013 City Council races in Pima County and the State wide races in 2014.”
