Representative Steve Montenegro, who has gained friends on both sides of the political aisle for his sincere and gentle nature, is now in the crosshairs of Governor Jan Brewer.
During the late-night coup of the Legislature by Brewer, Montenegro gave an impassioned speech on the floor of the House against Brewer’s Obamacare bill last year. A video of the soft-spoken pastor, delivering his speech on the House floor, went viral.
Now, the governor is raising money for a primary challenger. According to the Yellow Sheet, “Brewer’s first endorsement of a primary challenger to a sitting legislative incumbent appeared yesterday, when the governor gave her stamp of approval to Diane Landis, who is running in the LD13 GOP primary…” The Yellow sheet noted, “Several Republican sources have recently told our reporter that Montenegro is in danger of losing the election to Landis, and one said Brewer’s endorsement could signal a “death blow” for Montenegro.”
Montenegro, an immigrant from El Salvador came to the U.S. at age four with his family. He is a Magna Cum Laude graduate of Arizona State University with a B.S. in Political Science.
The governor crammed through the Medicaid expansion in the middle of the night. In response, Montenegro criticized the late night maneuver, calling the governor’s move disrespectful. “This is not the greatness that my father taught me about the great United States of America,” he said. “We deserve answers. The people deserve answers. They deserve transparency.”
The governor has secured donations from the healthcare providers who stand to gain economically from her expansion. Through her PAC, she is directing money to be spent against fellow republicans like Montenegro.