Here are my responses to the Arizona Citizens Clean Elections Commission questionaire. I was not in the primary elections, but I will be in the general election, November 6.

Biography

I have BA in Economics from Boston Univ, an MBA from the Wharton School at Univ. of Penn, and a Master's in Communications from ASU. I had a successful 15-year career with H.R. Block, and for nearly two years I worked at the Arizona House of Representatives for the majority party. Married for more than 18 years, we have five young men, one recently deceased. I am currently working with SVN Realty Advisors as a commercial real estate tenant advisor. I've been an Independent since 1994.

UPDATE: The Arizona Republic did include my answers in its release. Thank you Mr. Kwok!

AZCentral Politics 2018 Voter Guide

Letter to Mr. Abe Kwok, Deputy Opinion Page Editor at The Arizona Republic | azcentral.com

Dear Mr. Kwok:

Even though the Arizona Republic has reported on it many times, it is worth repeating that there are 1.2 million registered Independents in Arizona. That figure is 130,000 more than the number of registered Democrats and only 35,000 less than the number of registered Republicans.

Putting the public interest ahead of all other interests has become the first principle of the movement to elect independents to public office. An independent will say something like, if elected I will deliver common-sense solutions, or if chosen I will put the public interest ahead of all others.

Read my answers to The Arizona Republic | azcentral.com voter guide.

Why are you the best person for the job? As an independent, I will take positions that may not fit either party's ideological framework, but make sense for Arizona. I will be a catalyst for legislation that puts problem-solving ahead of partisan and special interests. I will seek solutions that are informed by data as well as traditions.

As a candidate for the Arizona State Senate, I want to be as transparent as possible. Read my positions and thoughts regarding some of the 2018 ballot measures. I will update with other ballot measures as time allows.

In Arizona, independents can vote in the primary elections without changing their affiliation. They only need to notify the Arizona Secretary of State of their "Party Ballot Preference," or in other words, which primary they want to vote in: DEM, REP, LBT, or GRN. It's that simple. It can even be done online at www.Request.Maricopa.Vote.

Read my answers to the endorsement requests I completed for the Greater Phoenix Chamber of Commerce, the Maricopa Area Labor Federation, the Sierra Club, the Arizona Chamber of Commerce & Industry, and the Arizona Catholic Conference.

Nationwide teacher compensation in Arizona ranks near the bottom

Answers to questions from the Fountain Hills Connection Facebook group

Original post

This year I’ve decided to run for public office as an independent. I’m running for the Arizona State Senate seat in our district, D-23, not the U.S. Senate. I am running because I want to put the brakes on polarized political thinking. I hope with my campaign and election to encourage a political dialogue that has more than two options, a dialogue that leads to better government and better solutions for all Arizonans. But as an independent, I need 1,600 nominating signatures, three-times what my party-affiliated counterparts need. So please consider signing my online nominating petition at http://www.voteleone.org.

As I campaign for State Senate in District 23, I am finding that there is some confusion about charter schools versus public schools. Many people incorrectly think that charter schools are private.