On Wednesday, Maricopa County Supervisor Clint Hickman attacked Arizona Senate Majority Leader Senator Rick Gray for raising questions about the manner in which the supervisors continue to effort to block an outside audit of the county’s botched handling of the 2020 General Election.
Gray, who is considered a center-right voice in the Senate, and who did not support Trump in the 2016 primary, spoke passionately on Tuesday during the Senate’s floor debate about the Maricopa County Board of Supervisor’s attacks, through the media, on Gray and the other GOP Senators.
“Senator Mesnard talked about we’re friends, well I consider myself a friend of my supervisor,” said Gray referring to Supervisor Hickman, “but what does he come out and do? He comes out and blames us Trumpians and that all we wanna do is overthrow the election.”
Gray, slumped slightly, and continued, “The Majority Whip talked about a bold face lie. You know, I think the politically correct way to say that is to say he misrepresented the truth. OK. What’s the difference? I don’t see a difference. When you misrepresent truth to get your way by making “them” look good,” said Gray referring to the supervisors, “and them look bad and he’s made the Senate look bad in the media, which is very happy to do that, is that the kind of government I want? I don’t care if it’s on your side or against your side is that the kind of government we want?”
Hickman, who was happy to attack the GOP Senators as part of his resistance to allowing the State Senate to conduct an audit into the County’s handling of the 2020 election, then played the victim, acting hurt by Gray’s response, and in the process Hickman upped the ante considerably, attacking Senator Rick Gray as “Senator Dick.”
Most Capitol observers were surprised at Hickman’s lack of decorum and how personal his attacks on Gray were. “They basically exactly the same when it comes to ideology, neither wanted Trump, neither is any sort of fire-breathing conservative, both are about as establishment as it gets, so what are they thinking? Have they lost their minds?” shared one politico.
First he impunes my character and then he starts calling me names! Is that the kind of conduct we want to see in our elected officials? I know that type of conduct is NOT tolerated in the Senate. https://t.co/ozzaP1NUPw
— RickGray (@RickGray) February 10, 2021
Gray finished his remarks with an emotional plea for those in office who seek the title “Honorable” to actually be honorable, a not so subtle yet appropriate call for Hickman and his fellow Supervisors to comply with the Senate’s subpoenas and to open up their process to public inspection.
“You know I when I first ran – I said I’m a businessman not a politician – then after that I had to say I can’t say that anymore because I’m not in business anymore. I am a politician. I will say the title that we get because we get a certain number of votes is “the Honorable” and I have said repeatedly that position and that title does not makes us honorable if we don’t do the right things. We can have the title and I’ve seen a lot of people stay in the Legislature because they want the title. They want the title and the significance. If you do not have the character to be titled honorable by the deed you do and the way you treat people you shouldn’t have it just because you’re elected to an office. And I got to tell you, when I look at the Board of Supervisors and I see the kind of conduct – the complete disregard for the voters – I don’t consider that honorable. I don’t care what party you’re in, I don’t consider that honorable. That’s dishonorable. All we’re trying to do – and unfortunately it doesn’t look like we’re going to make it – but all we’re trying to do – and I will continue to try to do – is to satisfy our voters. Not overturn an election. It’s never been about that, but to give our voters – the tens of thousands of voters, who don’t believe their vote was properly counted, who believe that there are people down here in the Legislature who are standing up for them. And I stand up for them. I’m not going to change my vote because I do not want to be associated with anyone who would disregard them, who would disregard their concerns about the integrity of our election. I am utterly utterly utterly disappointed with our Board of Supervisors who don’t care. They don’t seem to care, and care more about protecting themselves then really showing that their system worked thoroughly. Like I said last Thursday if it doesn’t work thoroughly it’s the responsibility of the Legislature to do the fix. They don’t seem to be caring about that they disregard those voters. I’m not gonna be surprised when those voters disregard them, but again I think political people should be honorable because of their conduct.”