Hunter takes Arizona GOP straw poll

By: MARK WALKER - Staff Writer | Monday, January 15, 2007 9:44 PM PST ∞

NORTH COUNTY -- U.S. Rep. Duncan Hunter's long-shot bid for the 2008 GOP presidential nomination got a boost over the weekend when he emerged on top in a straw poll of Republican precinct committeemen in Arizona's most-populated county.

Hunter, R-El Cajon, got 96 votes among the 458 ballots in the non-binding poll of Maricopa County party officials asked to list their first choice for president.

Hunter easily beat Arizona's own U.S. Sen. John McCain, considered a front-runner in the GOP presidential race, who drew a comparatively paltry 50 votes. Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney came in second in Saturday's poll with 82 first-place votes.

Campaigning in South Carolina on Monday, Hunter said he believes his long-held positions on two key national issues carried the day with the conservative Arizona Republicans from the county that includes Phoenix.

"It's great news," Hunter said during a telephone interview. "I think the message of a strong national defense and border security issues has resonated in Arizona."

The 52nd Congressional District congressman who represents parts of Poway, Rancho Bernardo and Ramona has long championed the military and Bush administration policies in Iraq. He is now the ranking Republican on the House Armed Services Committee, a panel he chaired until Democrats won control of the new Congress.

On border issues, Hunter long stressed the need for better security. He sponsored a bill last year to build a fence along the entire border. While that measure was adopted by the House and Senate, the money to build it has not been appropriated.

Lyle Tuttle, the Maricopa County Republican Committee chairman, said Hunter's showing wasn't expected.

"I was surprised, but when you look at it you see that Duncan is a pretty solid conservative and he should take pride in that he scored so well."

Tuttle said McCain's stance on immigration in which he favors amnesty for illegal immigrants hurts with the Phoenix-area Republicans as well as the GOP's rank and file across Arizona, a state that like California shares a border with Mexico.

"That and his attempt to appeal to the center of the political spectrum have not played with the conservative people here in Arizona," Tuttle said during a telephone interview.

The poll also shows GOP candidates that they shouldn't assume that Arizona will go to McCain.

"Arizona is very much in play," Tuttle said. "This straw poll demonstrates that candidates who might be tempted to ignore campaigning here ... may make a big mistake."

The 58-year-old Hunter did not fare as well in the straw poll when the Arizona party officials were asked to list acceptable presidential candidates. In that category, the 13-term lawmaker tied for seventh-place with GOP hopeful Mike Huckabee, the former governor of Arkansas.

Last week, Hunter filed his formal presidential exploratory committee papers with the Federal Election Commission, a step that allows him to begin accepting and spending campaign contributions.

He plans to make his formal announcement for president in San Diego sometime before the end of the month. He announced he was considering the run in November and said he would not seek re-election to his House seat.

-- Contact staff writer Mark Walker at (760) 740-3529 or mlwalker@nctimes.com.

20 comment(s)[-]Go to Top

Monte of El Cajon wrote on Jan 15, 2007 10:12 PM:Sometimes it is better to be lucky than good. My hunch is this time Congo Hunter got lucky. His "aw shucks" good 'ole country boy and semi-portly physical standing will be seen for what they are at the appropriate time. Besides since when has the State of Arizona given the country anything of value in Presidential politics? Hunter is a conservative with no name ID and a huge ego. If the Republicans are stupid enough to vote for him then they deserve what they get. A loser!

smartgirl wrote on Jan 16, 2007 5:57 AM:I am glad McCain was given the 'n'word. No means the people of Arizona are wakening up to McCains incompetance. His nasty temper, his drug-taking wife, does not sit well with the American people. She says she's recovered from her Herion addiction, but my son, who is a medical doctor, tells me that it's impossible to get over Herion addiction. We don't need her or him sitting in the White House. What kind of role-models would they be for our youth? Besides he's too old to be President. We want someone young in the Oval office. Barack Obama is a Muslum. He says he converted to another religion. But when has a Muslum ever been allowed to turn away from Islam religion? Barack is lying to the American people. Hey folks. We have got to watch the candidates this next election. They are real sneaky.

Jason wrote on Jan 16, 2007 6:19 AM:McCain "Gang of 14" leader and General in the Amnesty Army is in for a big surprise. I supported him in 2000, but I won't go near him in 2008. He's going to have to run as an independent to win.

TomZ wrote on Jan 16, 2007 7:09 AM:Well Monte, Arizona my not be your idea of a presidential wellspring. It must have something that Californians like they are moving here in droves, sick of high taxes , latinization, anti bussiness, anti 2nd amendment,and social engineering.Come to Arizona get a life.

jon wrote on Jan 16, 2007 7:13 AM:McCain will not carry AZ. Like Gore in 2000 with his home state of TN, McCain is a closet liberal and centrist and the christian right in AZ will not vote for this man. Besides, he has been in Washington while Social Security, Immigration, and uncontrolled spending have all gotten worse. He is part of the problem.

J. Rusnak wrote on Jan 16, 2007 7:31 AM:McCain's attempt to turn this country into a third world country by granting amnesty to millions of ILLEGAL aliens is not acceptable. Hopefully the rest of the civilized country will also make this plain to him. When a policy doesn't work only a fool persists in continued failure.

ElDuane wrote on Jan 16, 2007 7:41 AM:I have been a Republican since John Kennedy convinced me I was one. Senator McCain is not a Republican. My vote for President would be a vote under duress, if he was the Republican nominee for President. I do not want to see Mr. McCain as the Republican candidate. I do not want to vote for him.

Remember When.... wrote on Jan 16, 2007 8:06 AM:Ah, Monte, they gave us Goldwater. Maricopa county may be notable in that it is only more conservative than San Diego, so that Hunter's "win" is only redundant neo-con politics as usual.

Brett wrote on Jan 16, 2007 9:28 AM:Doesn't matter, McCain can't win. He had fun being "the Maverick Republican", but annoying the people whose votes you need isn't smart.

Cal wrote on Jan 16, 2007 9:34 AM:Straw man wins. Good luck finding a brain.

GOOD NEWS FOR DEMS - wrote on Jan 16, 2007 10:16 AM:- McCain, Romney, Giuliani, Gingrich, Brownback and DUNCAN HUNTER, and Hunter is the top of the pile! “It’s great news” for Democrats.

Ray wrote on Jan 16, 2007 11:57 AM:It's disapointing to hear such comments from "educated", "conservative" "high moral standards" people like you that is why politicians Republicans and Democrats and all the others fool you because you place you your attention on irrelevant issues rather than focus on productive and feasible solutions. You sound just like politicians yourselves!

Bro Rufus wrote on Jan 16, 2007 12:03 PM:Way to go, Duncan! A McCain candidacy must be avoided at all costs. McCain is unelectable, and a liberal besides. Save America! Save the world! NO MCCAIN CANDIDACY!!!

RamonaRepublican wrote on Jan 16, 2007 1:19 PM:I would have to vote for a third party candidate if McCain got the nomination. McCain is an open-borders zealot like Bush. We would have no border fence, and the lure of amnesty and a social security retirement payout would draw many million more illegal aliens in to collect government benefits just as the Baby Boom generation is set to retire.

Bellwether wrote on Jan 16, 2007 3:04 PM:As Arizona goes, so goes the nation? Not!

Skip wrote on Jan 16, 2007 3:31 PM:I was going to vote for Hunter and may still, but now that Tancredo is running, he will be my first choice. I am ready for a shake-up for this country like it has never seen before. In the last 10 years both the democrats and republicans have failed miserably. At least with Tancredo I know where he stands.

One if by Land wrote on Jan 16, 2007 6:03 PM:Duncan Hunter is a breath of needed fresh air. While Pandering Open Borders politicos are foaming at the mouth to give Illegals Votes.

noRINOS wrote on Feb 3, 2007 2:26 AM:duncan hunter or tom tancredo need our support lets all step out and get there name out there more !

Gerry wrote on Jun 12, 2007 2:59 PM:If Duncan Hunter's "aw shucks" demeaner got to you way back in January, Fred Thompson's scrawly drawly folksy downhome platitudes must have you climbin the wall at this point, Monte. Representative Hunter's tell it like it is in no uncertain terms, devil take the hindmost is a real winner for me! He is just what our country is starving for right now, and he gets here not a minute too soon. VOTE FOR DUNCAN HUNTER IN THE PRIMARIES FOR AMERICA'S SAKE!

Paul wrote on Jun 20, 2007 10:54 AM:Duncan Hunter has shown the clearest and deepest intellectual understanding of the trade war stance of Communist China against the U.S., as it divides us internally, with the Multinationals doing their bidding to continue to gain access to their cheap labor. Duncan Hunter has understood one of the key methods to rebuild national unity, is to enforce the rules of trade...which means that provocative foreign government interference in the trade game do not go unanswered. Duncan Hunter has also shown a deep understanding of the impact of the industrial diaspora that is weakening the U.S. military against China...and their espionage threat to steal our last vital advantages...all under the noses of the self-styled "adults" in this administration. And Duncan Hunter has shown a commanding understanding of the defense needs of our military from top to bottom, and blew away Donald Rumsfeld with his encyclopedic knowledge. And his leadership has been vouched for by those who served with him in the military, in Congress, and in todays Defense community. Which is not something which can be said of any other candidates.

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