Arizona Public Radio | Your Source for NPR News
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

State Sen. Al Melvin to Drop Bid in Republican Gubernatorial Primary

Capitol Media Services file photo by Howard Fischer

Arizona state senator Al Melvin has announced he’s pulling out of the primary. As Arizona Public Radio’s Howard Fischer, Melvin failed to gather enough small donations to make his campaign eligible for public funding.

State Sen. Al Melvin had been having problems getting the 4,500 $5 donations which would have qualified him for public funding in his bid for the GOP nomination. So, last week Melvin said he would make a decision by this coming Friday — what he had been told was the deadline for removing his name from the primary ballot. As it turns out, the deadline really is right now. So, Melvin decided there just wasn’t enough time left to get the funds, making any further campaigning useless. The next question is which of the six surviving Republican contenders Melvin intends to back.

“Well, I haven’t decided yet. I made this decision last night. And so I have to give it some time to think it over,” Melvin said.

Melvin said he is looking for someone whose views are the closest to his own. But, he conceded that means one person will not get his endorsement: former Mesa Mayor Scott Smith. Melvin said he intends to remain involved in politics. That includes promoting a universal $8,000 voucher for all students — something he said would require convincing voters to remove a constitutional bar on state aid to private and parochial schools.

Related Content