Posted on 06/01/2005 6:56:49 PM PDT by hsmomx3
It's looking more and more like Valley shopping mall developer and Arizona Democratic Party chairman Jim Pederson will take on incumbent Republican U.S. Sen. Jon Kyl next year
Pederson told The Business Journal Wednesday that he still has not made a "final decision" on whether to challenge Kyl.
But numerous sources say Pederson has been privately telling political allies and business friends that he will challenge the conservative Kyl next year.
Pederson on Tuesday also announced he was stepping down as president of Pederson Group Inc. to become the group's chairman. Jeffrey Manelis will take over as president of the real estate company and head the Phoenix firm's day-to-day operations.
That move would allow the wealthy Pederson to focus on a U.S. Senate run, said Rick Kidder, public policy director for the Scottsdale Area Chamber of Commerce and a former top aide to ex-governor Fife Symington.
Pederson said the business move was unrelated to a possible Senate bid and that a decision on whether to run against Kyl will come sometime during the "second half" of this year.
Last month, Pederson appeared at a Democratic rally in Phoenix with Democratic National Committee chairman Howard Dean. At that event, Dean openly talked about knocking off Kyl next year without mentioning a challenger's name. Pederson is viewed as the Democrats' best hope of defeating Kyl, since Gov. Janet Napolitano has opted to run for re-election next year.
A Kyl-Pederson match-up would likely be an expensive affair and garner national attention and funding, though the Republican is favored. A recent poll by Wright Consulting Services gives Kyl a 46 percent to 17 percent lead over Pederson.
Pederson said a competitive race by a Democrat against Kyl "will get expensive" but will highlight key differences between the parties.
Pederson is one of the state's top real estate developers and Democratic leaders. He and his family have donated millions of dollars to national and state Democratic parties and candidates in recent years. Pederson donated more than $2.3 million to the Arizona Democratic Party during the 2004 election cycle and $3.7 million to the state party during 2002. That latter amount is credited with helping Democrat Napolitano in her narrow 2002 governor's race win.
Nationally, Pederson's contribution list includes Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid, Sen. Edward Kennedy and former senator Tom Daschle. Pederson hosted a fundraiser for Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton last year at his Phoenix home.
Pederson has been credited with bolstering the Democratic Party in a GOP-leaning state, including 2002 wins by Napolitano in the governor's race and Terry Goddard in the attorney general's contest.
He has also tried to reach out to the business and real estate communities, especially on issues such as education and university funding. That résumé was diminished last year by President Bush's double digit win in Arizona over John Kerry.
Kyl has more than $3 million cash on hand, according to his campaign.
The conservative Kyl has been recently bolstered by Arizona fundraisers hosted by top Bush political advisor Karl Rove, Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist and former New York major Rudolph Giuliani.
The Rove event for Kyl in Phoenix featured top business leaders such as Phoenix Suns chief executive Jerry Colangelo, Arizona Cardinals vice president Michael Bidwell, America West Airlines lobbyist C.A. Howlett, Arizona Diamondbacks managing partner Ken Kendrick and National Association of Industrial and Office Properties state director Jackie Norton.
Kyl -- a top ally of the Bush administration in the Senate -- has received business backing this election cycle from the likes of Home Depot, Ernst & Young, Procter & Gamble, Wal-Mart and Pfizer. The junior senator has also been looking to expand beyond his traditional conservative base, reaching out to Latino voters as well as moderate Democrats and independents.
A Kyl spokesman declined comment until an official announcement is made by Pederson.
Social security privatization, tax cuts, immigration, social issues and prescription drug importation are expected to be the top issues in a Kyl/Pederson contest.
He hasn't a chance against Kyl IMO.
I always find it so amusing how so many democrat pols are millionaires. Don't you think the dummies would be bright enough to figure out that something is wrong?
Arizona already has one Liberal DemocRAT Senator ("Maverick"). We don't need another one. Kyl won't be beat by the Clinton, Reid and Kennedy shoeshine boy, Pederson.
bump 4 l8r
Will be interesting to see if McShame will campaign for Kyl.
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