The leadership of Republican Legislative District 15 has been in power only three months, but they have accomplished quite a lot in that short period. One major accomplishment was the creation of a forum discussion by three gubernatorial candidates. For those of us who were there it was a great event. And the rest of you will be equally pleased by watching this video.
As expected, all candidates had some strong points, and some not so strong.
Steve Gaynor showed his grasp of the current political situation in Arizona by correctly pointing out that it would be nearly impossible for the legislature to do much in a special session because we cannot count on the 31 house and 16 senate votes needed to pass legislation. His weakness was in the delivery of his message, especially because of a poor Zoom connection.
Matt Salmon was the only one of the three candidates with an actual record as an elected official, and it is a very good one from a conservative point of view. His call for a special session to deal with important issues is not likely to happen, and if it does, it is not likely to provide the desired effect.
Keri Lake showed that she is an accomplished and convincing speaker, a skill that is very important for a governor now more than ever. But her lack of experience in politics showed via her unrealistic promises.
So, you may ask, who won the discussion? You, the engaged voter, did. You now have the opportunity to see for yourself these candidates in action, and hopefully get closer to determining your favorite.