Arizona: Education ally Mead may switch parties, run for schools chief

AZ Business Journal ^ | Mike Sunnucks

[hsmomx3]

Former state senator Slade Mead is increasingly giving signals he may run for state schools superintendent in 2006.

Mead, a controversial Republican ally of Democratic Gov. Janet Napolitano, has been showing up at a number of recent top Democratic Party events and fund raisers, sources tell The Business Journal.

That is raising the possibility that Mead may change parties and run as a Democrat against state Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Horne.

Horne is a Republican who also switched parties in the 1990s.

Mead has strong ties with some pro-education downtown business leaders, including Pinnacle West Capital Corp./APS chairman Bill Post and Cox Communications vice president Ivan Johnson.

But Mead, who is a professional sports agent, has clashed with conservatives in the business community as well as the Republican Party regarding his backing of education and social service spending increases forwarded by Napolitano.

Mead said he is still deciding whether to run but said he is being encouraged by some top business leaders to mount a campaign.

Mead said he wants to see how Horne handles standardized testing issues in the coming months before making a final decision.

He has not yet changed parties but sounds as if that move will occur.

"I wasn't very well received by my party," said Mead referring to his clashes with other Republicans.

Mead was trounced by conservative John Huppenthal in the September Republican primary for a state Senate seat representing Ahwatukee as well as parts of Chandler and Tempe. Mead serves on the Kyrene District's school board and was backed by teachers' unions in his legislative races.

[hsmomx3]

What a bunch of goofballs we have in this state!!

[AZ_Cowboy]

Somewhere, Barry Goldwater is turning over in his grave.

[hsmomx3]

I have a feeling that whether it be Horne or Slade, and if Napolitano wins again in 2006, we will see radical changes in education. And I also believe that a big crackdown on homeschooling will evolve.

There are so many child abuse cases that we are bombarded with lately as well.

Afterall, Napolitano is not happy with getting kindergartners into full day schooling, she wants the whole enchilada. She knows not a darned thing about children or rearing them and never will.

This state better wake up and smell the coffee.

[HungarianGypsy]

My old neighbor knew Horne. He only switched his party to get the vote. That was probably one of the few times I voted for a Democrat. I had e-mailed Horne's previous opponent about his homeschooling opinion. He said he fully supported homeschooling. Whereas, Horne publicly said he wanted regulations on it. I figured I would rather take my chances that the Democrat might be true to his word, rather than go with the Republican that I knew was going to mess things up.
Of course, Nap is trying to push for the government funded day care too.
Today we were reading about Jane Addams and Hull House. I told my daughter it is great to provide a kindegarten and day care for poor, working mothers, but should be a private venture, rather than government paid for.

[hsmomx3]

I also emailed and found out the same as you did about Horne and his opponent.

Did you know that Horne has been contemplating a run for governor? I read this about a week or so ago.