nieces to collect signatures. they were not campaigning for russell pearce. they were campaigning for this third candidate they found. olivia cortez. to get her on the ballot. in addition to that remarkably charitable effort by the russell pearce family, the mysterious cortez campaign also somehow found itself with enough money, enough funding to pay professional signature gatherers to go out alongside russell pearce s nieces in order to get olivia cortez on the ballot. i was told that if people were supporters of mr. pearce, to tell them go ahead and sign this, that this will help his chances. so the idea was to dilute or divert the vote? yeah. by running a diversionary or a sham candidate that that might run a file of arizona s election laws? i had no idea. i had no idea, she says. no idea there could be serious legal consequences in this scheme to save russell pearce
clear election against somebody who wants to recall him. the circumstances of the russell pearce recall race were strange enough that a maricopa county judge began holding hearings into whether or not this olivia cortez had been put up for a sham candidacy. whether this was, in fact, a tea party republican pro-russell pearce dirty trick in this arizona election. on thursday facing the possibility that senator pearce s family would be compelled to testify in this case, olivia cortez suddenly dropped out of the race. she dropped out. you know what? as far as dirty tricks go, mission accomplished. because when voters in that russell pearce district go to the polls on november 8th, the name olivia cortez will still be on that ballot. the ballots are already printed. her name will be alongside the name of the mainstream republican who really is running and alongside the name russell pearce. three names in now a two-person race. two people who are not russell pearce conveniently splitting th
parts of papers please. but in the meantime, arizona voters, angry or grossed out by the whole sb-1070 ordeal started a recall campaign against russing pierce. the campaign said, overt disdain for the united states constitution. they put his petition out there and russell pierce up for a vote. through no fault of the arizona recallers, they re watching a cautionary tale unfold about the way we make decisions these days in our little democracy. here s how it goes. ready? the candidate who s trying to unseat russell pierce is in fact a fellow republican, this guy here. he s a totally mainstream local republican from the district who was urged into the race by other local republicans who within embarrassed by russell pierce. he says he accepted the challenge after a period of prayer and fasting. his biggest asset in the race is of course that he is not russell pierce. russell pierce seems to have decided he maybe couldn t win that way, if it was just him against this other regul
arizona from enforcing major parts of papers please. but in the meantime, arizona voters, angry or grossed out by the whole sb-1070 ordeal started a recall campaign against russing pierce. the campaign said, overt disdain for the united states constitution. they put his petition out there and russell pierce up for a vote. through no fault of the arizona recallers, they re watching a cautionary tale unfold about the way we make decisions these days in our little democracy. here s how it goes. ready? the candidate who s trying to unseat russell pierce is in fact a fellow republican, this guy here. he s a totally mainstream local republican from the district who was urged into the race by other local republicans who within embarrassed by russell pierce. he says he accepted the challenge after a period of prayer and fasting. his biggest asset in the race is of course that he is not russell pierce. russell pierce seems to have decided he maybe couldn t win that way, if it was just
but in the meantime, arizona voters, angry or grossed out by the whole sb-1070 ordeal started a recall campaign against russing pierce. the campaign said, overt disdain for the united states constitution. they put his petition out there and russell pierce up for a vote. through no fault of the arizona recallers, they re watching a cautionary tale unfold about the way we make decisions these days in our little democracy. here s how it goes. ready? the candidate who s trying to unseat russell pierce is in fact a fellow republican, this guy here. he s a totally mainstream local republican from the district who was urged into the race by other local republicans who within embarrassed by russell pierce. he says he accepted the challenge after a period of prayer and fasting. his biggest asset in the race is of course that he is not russell pierce. russell pierce seems to have decided he maybe couldn t win that way, if it was just him against this other regular guy mainstream republ