Ballot challenge updates

It looks like today the Arizona Secretary of State found out about another ballot challenge having been filed last week. Republican LD29 state representative hopeful Aaron Borders filed (on his own behalf) a challenge to the only other Republican who submitted nominating petitions for the position, Erminie Zarra.

LD29 is a Democratic Voting Rights district and has been represented in the Arizona House since January 2013 by Democrats Martin Quezada and Lydia Hernandez. Those two are diametrically opposed on a number of issues. Quezada stands for the people, Hernandez generally stands for the lobbyist. Both are vying for the LD29 senate seat currently held by Steve Gallardo. Gallardo, of course, is running for County Supervisor.

Ballotpedia says this about the LD29 House race so far:

Elections for the office of Arizona House of Representatives will consist of a primary election on August 26, 2014, and a general election on November 4, 2014. The signature-filing deadline for candidates wishing to run in this election was May 28, 2014. Richard Andrade will face Steve Chapman, Denise Garcia and Ceci Velasquez in the Democratic primary. Aaron Borders and Erminie Zarra are unopposed in the Republican primary.

If Aaron Borders and Erminie Zarra are unopposed in their primary, why is Borders challenging Zarra's petitions?

Borders' website says this:

For far too long as a citizen I have watched the nastiness of Arizona politics. I have decided to run to represent Legislative District 29 as a whole. I don't believe in Democrat or Republican ideas, I believe there are Good ideas and Bad ideas. Before I cast a vote in the AZ House as YOUR Representative I wont ask if it's a Republican sponsored bill or a Democrat sponsored bill. I will ask myself ONE question after I read it, will this bill leave my children and your children better off? Or is this bill just promoting partisan brinksmanship from either side of the isle? If the answer is the later, I will vote against it. I am there to Represent you and it is up to me to make sure I don't go to the Capitol and become part of the problem but, to be part of a new generation of leaders determined to leave Arizona better for our kids and grandkids with common sense solutions for Arizona. (emphasis mine)

I have to chuckle. This blurb suggests or seems to imply that Borders wants to rid us of the "nastiness of Arizona politics." But for him to file a lawsuit to get the only other Republican thrown off the ballot in his race seems kinda nasty. I know very little about Zarra. But I do know that politics IS a nasty business. Maybe Borders was really implying just that he too wanted to get in on the nastiness.

Oh, and how does this help Borders (if it's successful)?

Because LD29 is a Democratic district (latest registration numbers show 26,818 Democrat; 13,536 Republican; and 28,210 Libertarian & Other -- or 39.1 percent D; 19.7 percent R; 41.1 percent L & O), Borders apparently believes he has a chance if Republicans "single shot" their ballots. If Zarra stays on the ballot, the odds of either Republican winning a seat are significantly lower.

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According to the SoS worksheet on candidate challenges, James Samuelson, Independent candidate for CD5 (incumbent Salmon) withdrew his name from the ballot today, making Tim LaSota's lawsuit moot. The Maricopa County Superior Court website does not yet reflect it, but the hearing scheduled for Tuesday afternoon, June 17 will be vacated.