Arizona state legislative candidate Julie Willoughby has called on her opponent, Nora Ellen, to assure voters in LD 17 she will avoid any appearance of nepotism or campaign impropriety this campaign season. Ellen, a Chandler City Council member, is the mother of Speaker of the Arizona House of Representatives, J.D. Mesnard.
Willoughby claims her concern is rooted in the fact that Mesnard will have lobbyists vying for support for their respective bills while his mother would be courting those same groups for campaign contributions.
Willoughby challenged Ellen and stressed her concerns stating, “I’d like to see her decline any and all lobbyist contributions to her campaign until the second regular session of the current legislature has concluded.”
According to ARS § 41-1234.01., “Lobbyists are prohibited from soliciting, promising to solicit, making or promising to make campaign contributions to members of the Legislature or the Governor during the regular legislative session, and when legislation from the regular session awaits gubernatorial action.”
Because of this prohibition, legislators hold parties and gatherings immediately prior to the start of the session in order to receive generous contributions from lobbyists. Challengers cannot compete with this sort of access to money.
Willoughby continued, “Considering there was over $300,000 spent in the district last campaign season, there’s every reason to believe those numbers will be met or exceeded this cycle. It’s crucial for the voters in our district to have the confidence that the legislative priorities of the House will not be influenced by a relationship between the political campaign of a mother and the legislative role of her son.”