Sham Candidate
Videos:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KUz1KqegfwQ
http://tucsoncitizen.com/three-sonorans/2011/09/26/busted-once-again-republican-teapocrisy-splits-party-over-support-of-extremist-russell-pearce/
Newspaper Accounts:
http://www.azcentral.com/members/Blog/LaurieRoberts/144030
http://www.azcentral.com/members/Blog/LaurieRoberts/144006
http://www.azcentral.com/members/Blog/LaurieRoberts/143766
"An executive officer of the Maricopa County Republican Party and longtime supporter of Senate President Russell Pearce said she was part of a coordinated effort to help a woman she's never met qualify as a candidate for the Nov. 8 special recall election against Pearce" (Arizona Capitol Times, 9/14/11).
The strategy behind this is both obvious and despicable: if this "candidate,” Olivia Cortez, an Hispanic woman funded by Pearce operatives who got her on the ballot to take votes from Pearce’s sole real opponent. The sham candidate has thus far refused to even talk with the press; if she takes 5% to 10% of the anti-Pearce vote, she could enable Pearce to win with less than 50% of the vote. And Pearce’s people know this; that’s why they put her on the ballot—not to win, but to take enough votes from Jerry Lewis to let Pearce squeak by with less than half the vote (there is no runoff election). Informing the public about sham stunts like this is exactly what we intend to do - with your help. At this writing, there is a single genuine opponent of Russell Pearce in the recall election, Jerry Lewis
There is a lawsuit questioning her status, but the courts are (justifiably) reluctant to intervene. That means that voter education is the answer—something we aim to help out with.
