Aguirre working to retain Senate seat, Kretzer running as Reform Party candidate

It's still early in the state's political season but the candidates for the Arizona Legislature's District 24 Senate seat are already getting their campaigns in gear.

Sen. Amanda Aguirre, D-Yuma, is running for her second term in the Senate. The CEO and president of the Regional Center for Border Health and the San Luis Walk-In Clinic, Aguirre was elected in 2004 to one term in the state House before she won a seat in the Senate in 2006. She was appointed to the House in February 2003 to fulfill the seat vacated by Rep. Robert Cannell, who replaced Herb Guenther in the Senate when Guenther became director of the state Department of Water Resources.

She won that race by a slim margin - less than 300 votes - over former District 24 Republican Rep. Russ Jones. But she will not face any Republican opposition this time around.

The Yuma County Republican Party is not fielding a candidate in the state Senate race.

"Quite frankly, it's because no one wants to run," said Joseph "Mel" Melchionne, chairman of the local Republican Party.

But Aguirre will face some competition. Jack Kretzer, a retired engineer and self-described concerned Yuma citizen, is making his own run for the state Senate.

"No one seems to be doing anything," Kretzer said. "The problem of the state spending, spending, spending ... I thought maybe I could help. I know I can help."

Kretzer has never run for a state office before but is no stranger to local politics. Most recently he waged a campaign for a Yuma City Council seat in the 2007 election.

He garnered the third-highest number of votes in the general election, just behind Councilman Raul Mendoza, but it was not enough to take one of the two open council seats.

Kretzer said if he's elected to the state he will focus on reforming the property tax system and curbing state spending. He added that he supports Mesa Republican Rep. Russell Pearce's efforts to combat the hiring of illegal workers and increase border security.

"Actually, I'd like to see the Arizona (National) Guard back down on the border but they're in Iraq ... There's nothing I can do about Iraq. Hopefully a new president will do that. But the things we can do at home, let's do it," Kretzer said.

Aguirre said she feels she's been an effective senator for her district, working to form bipartisan legislation on health care, consumer protection and education. She is also part of the joint legislative budget committee that is now working on developing solutions for the state's mounting deficit.

"The budget is the biggest issue right now. It's not going to go away until probably 2010 or 2011," Aguirre said. "It's going to be a very slow return to a healthy financial status in the state."

Aguirre is co-chair of the in-home care providers study committee and a member of the joint legislative budget committee; the join committee on capital review; the health committee; the appropriations committee; and the natural resources and rural affairs committee.

Both Aguirre and Kretzer are running under the Citizens Clean Elections Commission, which regulates campaign contributions through a system of public funding.

They are now collecting signatures and contributions. Both candidates will be at the Yuma County Fair this week.

Meanwhile, the Republicans are concentrating on other state offices, including the House. Jones is running to retake his legislative seat there, according to an announcement by the Yuma party last month.

Yuma's state Reps. Lynne Pancrazi and Theresa Ulmer are both seeking re-election for their House seats.

District 24 encompasses Yuma County, as well as some portions of La Paz County.

Candidates have until June 4 to gather and turn in signatures.


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Sarah Reynolds can be reached at
sreynolds@yumasun.com or 539-6847.