Pres. Trump endorses AZ Rep. Mark Finchem for Sec. of State

In a Republican primary Trump remains the name that matters the most

It would be the height of folly to be lulled into thinking Arizona’s Secretary of State position is a mundane paper pushing job that certifies state election results, regulates notaries public, advance directives, trademarks and lobbyists.

If any elected office could be called a sleeper, with the possibly for great potential, it’s the Secretary of State. Arizona doesn’t have a lieutenant governor post, so the Secretary of State is next in line of succession to the governor. Plenty of lightweights of both parties have run for the office, hoping to be elected not to register trademarks and lobbyists and oversee the Arizona State Library, Archives and Public Records, but to be the next in line should something unforeseen happen to the governor. In fact, that’s exactly what has happened frequently enough through impeachment, indictment, resignation and death to put Wes Bolin, Rose Mofford, Jane Hull and Jan Brewer in the ninth floor governor’s office. Attorney General Bruce Babbitt also reached the lofty state pinnacle through the circuitous route, though he was never secretary of state. Secretary of State Mofford was ineligible to run for the office after being appointed when Gov. Raul Castro resigned, which boosted Babbitt, next in line, into the governor’s office. 

This background is provided as a reminded that the post does not go unnoticed.  In fact, Arizona’s Secretary of State election has met the laser-like focus of Donald Trump, the 45^th president of the United States, whose Maricopa County ballots have been the subject of intense scrutiny of a forensic audit since there has been ample reason to distrust the razor slim total of the original count.

Even out of office, Donald Trump keeps his ear to the ground, which is why he has endorsed AZ Rep. Mark Finchem.

That endorsement should be enough to make other Republicans running for Secretary of State reconsider their aspirations.