Arizona GOP Gov. Hull stays in office
(AllPolitics, November 3) -- GOP incumbent Jane Dee Hull won easily over her Democrat challenger Paul Johnson, giving the governor her first full term as Arizona's chief executive.
Hull replaced Fife Symington after he resigned in 1997 following his conviction for bank fraud. In Tuesday's vote, Hull won with broad-based support from men and women of all ages.
Her accomplishments included calling a special session of the Legislature two months after taking office to improve the state's response to child abuse.
She also called for reductions in personal and business income taxes, vehicle license taxes and sales tax and is advancing a legislative agenda of tax relief, economic development, accountability in government, crime reduction and a balanced environmental program.
Democrat Johnson promised $100 million in tax cuts in the first two years if he won the governor's office. He also slammed Hull for her long record of voting for abortion restrictions, including a resolution calling for a constitutional amendment to ban it completely. He also claimed she took campaign cash from Nevada developers who were eyeing Arizona water rights. That claim proved false.
Hull was first sworn in as governor when she succeeded Symington. She previously served as Arizona secretary of state, the second woman to hold that office and the first Republican since 1931.
Johnson is a former mayor of Phoenix and executive of a telecommunications firm. He faced no primary opposition after businessman Eddie Basha dropped out of the contest for family reasons.
Johnson started his campaign by emphasizing school construction but switched to HMO reform after the Legislature passed the governor's school construction proposal. He also tried to paint Hull, a former schoolteacher and one of only two incumbent female governors running this year (the other being New Hampshire's Jeanne Shaheen), as a right-wing extremist. He also issued press releases claiming Hull was avoiding public debate with him.
Hull accused Johnson of negative campaigning. She ran a TV ad slamming him for his meanspirited, negative attacks that she said were false.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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