FOLLOWING MONEY IN ARIZONA'S POLITICS: Yuma County Republicans Spread Wings, Help Attack Dems In Maricopa and Pinal Counties; Plumbers Involved

(edited at 3:00pm to add dollar amounts)

The Yuma County Republican Party ("Yuma GOP") is the principle funder behind mailers sent out yesterday attacking Democrats in four key state legislative races around the state.  The left-leaning national political internet-based news and opinion website Talking Points Memo ("TPM") was the first to report on this news today, focusing on the mailers' "less-than-subtle hint that the Democrat in question -- in the case of a GOP mailer obtained by TPM, two-term state Rep. Rae Waters -- is somehow inviting hordes of blood-thirsty illegal immigrants into Arizona's peaceful suburbs...."

Besides Waters in LD20 - which covers parts of Phoenix and the southeast valley - Arizona's Politics is the first to report that the Republican group is also attacking David Schapira - looking to move from the House to the Senate in LD17 (Tempe) - Sens. Rebecca Rios (LD 23, Pinal Cty.) and Amanda Aguirre (LD24, western AZ). 

Here is a picture of the flier, per TPM:

The "independent expenditure" group mailing these out is called the Arizona Business Development Coalition ("ABDC").  On the mailer, it identifies the Yuma County Republican Party as the major funder.  The mailers - and one newspaper ad against Waters - cost a total of $18,526.17, according to the filed "trigger report".  Nealy half of that amount is aimed at the one house seat currently held by Waters.  She is running against incumbent Bob Robson and Jeff Dial.

The group registered with the state in June, and reported having no contributions or expenditures as of its last filing on September 13.  It filed a trigger report yesterday with the info regarding the mailers.

Sidenote of mild interest - on two levels - to political junkies:  The chair of the ABDC is Mike Brewer, owner of a local Benjamin Franklin Plumbing franchise. (The group shares the address with the plumbing office.)  No dirty tricks here, though!



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