Posted on 03/30/2006 8:22:30 PM PST by Icelander
Republican National Committee chairman Ken Mehlman was in Arizona Thursday, visiting with a Hispanic-owned business in West Phoenix and attending a GOP fundraiser in Tucson.
Hispanics are poised to become key voting blocs in Arizona and other states in the coming years and Republicans hope to make inroads with that community on social and economic issues, including tax cuts and private school tax credits.
Mehlman visited ATL Inc.'s offices in Phoenix. ATL is an engineering consulting firm headed by Frank Rivera. Mehlman has focused on outreach to traditionally Democratic minority communities -- including Latinos -- since becoming RNC chair after the 2004 elections.
Mehlman was a top official in President Bush's re-election efforts, which did fairly well with Hispanics in key states such as Arizona and Florida.
Immigration is however a potential minefield for Republicans because hard-line stances from some conservatives are opposed by some Hispanics.
The GOP chair is also scheduled to attend a fundraiser in Tucson Thursday night.
The visit comes a day before Democratic Governors Association meetings are being hosted this weekend by Gov. Janet Napolitano at the Arizona Biltmore Resort & Spa.
Napolitano and a number of other Democratic governors -- including New Mexico's Bill Richardson and Washington's Christine Gregoire -- will meet in Phoenix Friday and Saturday to discuss issues such as energy and transportation. They will also attend a preseason baseball game between the Arizona Diamondbacks and New York Yankees.
Southern Arizona is a top political battleground in this year's national elections.
Tucson GOP Congressman Jim Kolbe is retiring and Democrats are hoping to win back the seat, which sits in a moderate district.
Republicans trying to hold the seat including former state lawmaker Randy Graf, state Rep. Steve Huffman and tax consultant and GOP activist Mike Hellon.
Graf is a immigration hawk and has the backing of conservatives, including West Valley Congressman Trent Franks, Arizona Right to Life and state Rep. Russell Pearce, John Allen and Pam Gorman.
Hellon is the ex-husband of state Sen. Toni Hellon, who supports his congressional bid. Other Hellon backers include former governor Jane Hull, state Sens. Jim Waring and Carolyn Allen, conservative radio talker Tom Liddy and Pima County Supervisor Ray Carroll.
Huffman has the support of Tucson Mayor Ray Walkup and has been a leading business tax cut advocate during his time at the state Legislature.
Democrats looking to fill Kolbe's seat including former state senator Gabrielle Giffords, ex-Tucson television news anchor Patty Weiss and JetBlue Airways pilot and military veteran Jeff Latas.
"Democrats looking to fill Kolbe's seat"
Very easy.
Graf is the reason Kolbe - the Soros funded, openly Homosexual, RINO is retiring.
Randy Graf has the best chance of the Republicans to beat the Rats.
Randy is no Open Borders big government type.
I will vote for him. He is the best choice of all the candidates in my distirct.
melman doesnt know ust how much damage he did with that "dont offend the king " letter he wrote
I never said anything positive about Mehlman, and dont intend to.
He is an assbite who is the hispanderer in chief(mehlman). Tucson does have non-hispanic businesses too.
Randy gets my support - even when the republicans did and do not.
Potential minefield? Hahahahaha.
I think body parts started flying around years ago.
It wasn't a bath house by any chance, was it?
Mehlman always seems like he's oblivous to the stuff going on aroud him
He should've been pushed out of the RNC years ago—he certainly does nothing to reflect my values!!
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