Russell Pearce - Jerry Lewis LD 18 Arizona Senate Debate (17 images)

Russell Pearce, the President of the Arizona State Senate and one of the most powerful politicians in Arizona, has been forced to run in a recall election because more than 15,000 residents of his district, Legislative District 18 in Mesa, AZ, signed petitions calling for Pearce's recall.

Thursday night, Oct. 6, there was a debate between Pearce and his Republican opponent, Jerry Lewis, a former charter school executive.

Pearce, a darling of the Tea Party movement,...
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Russell Pearce, the President of the Arizona State Senate and one of the most powerful politicians in Arizona, has been forced to run in a recall election because more than 15,000 residents of his district, Legislative District 18 in Mesa, AZ, signed petitions calling for Pearce's recall.

Thursday night, Oct. 6, there was a debate between Pearce and his Republican opponent, Jerry Lewis, a former charter school executive.

Pearce, a darling of the Tea Party movement, brings a lot of baggage into the race. In the last year, he has been dogged by charges of corruption for accepting free gifts from the Fiesta Bowl, his opponents allege that he pals around with white supremacists and one of his sons has been charged with domestic violence. Lewis too has some problems with unanswered charges that he diverted non-monetary gifts to his charter school for personal use.

The election is early November. If Pearce loses it could shake Arizona politics to its core.
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