Tuesday’s midterm election provided mixed results in Arizona with respect to immigration reform. While voters passed the anti-immigrant ballot initiatives with overwhelming majorities, the Minutemen Candidates were rejected by the electorate to represent our state.
Randy Graf, who devoted an entire page of his website to his work with the vigilante group (now taken down), was defeated by Gabrielle Giffords for the Congressional District 08 seat spanning a huge swath of Southern Arizona including hundreds of miles of the U.S/Mexico border. Giffords not only carried heavily-Democratic Pima County, as expected, but also garnered the votes of a majority of voters in Cochise County – home of the Minutemen Project.
Giffords (D) – 94,434
Graf (Minuteman) – 70,386
Cochise County
Giffords – 16,726
Graf – 15,687
Source: AZ Secretary of State
According to Giffords’ website, her position on immigration reform aligns with the bipartisan approach offered by Senators Kennedy and McCain in the Senate.
Democrats now hold both Congressional seats that span our border with our friends to the south, with Congressman Raúl Grijalva in neighboring Congressional District 07 being the other representative. It is clear that the voters who are most affected by the border policies of the U.S. government endorse a comprehensive approach to immigration reform that strikes a humane balance between enforcement, economics, and family unification. A guest worker program is a central competent to any future actions in our backyard.
Incumbent Congressman J.D. Hayworth, another Minuteman candidate, is currently trailing in the final count of votes cast in Congressional District 05 that includes north-eastern portions of the Phoenix Metro area as well as rural regions in central Arizona. His challenger, Democrat Harry Mitchell is/was a popular local figure in the Valley of the Sun as a former celebrated mayor of Tempe and State Senator. Mitchell’s position on immigration reform also aligns with a comprehensive approach:
Harry Mitchell and Gabrielle Giffords’ tough talk on immigration enforcement helped to insulate them against the hardliner attacks that were a given considering the “bullies” and extremists they faced in the election. While it certainly grated the nerves of supporters of comprehensive reform, like myself, to hear Democrats use the rhetorical language of Republicans during the campaign, it is clear that Mitchell and Giffords will support a middle-ground approach in the 110th Congress. The same could not be said if the Minutemen Candidates were given the platform.
So all-in-all it’s a mixed bag when it comes to the future direction of immigration reform in Arizona. What clearly needs to change in the short-term, however, is the divisive politics of race-baiting that has been employed by the Minutemen Project, Border Guardians, and other vigilante movements. When that occurs on a wide scale as it has recently, we all lose.
Crossposted at Migra Matters V2.0, from my humble blog
vigilantes were prowling the polls on Tuesday harassing Latinos as they went to vote. Luckily, their hate is being exposed for the filth it represents.
Manny, I think one good thing that’s finlly happening now is that that “hate” (in general,) is being more exposed for what it is, period.
There is still such a long way to go, for all of us “Other-Americans”, I know, but if we all pull together and stand our ground, there is really no way to really lose, either. Not as long as we have each other, and so many many friends who stand in solidarity with us. Liberty and justice for all is a garden that grows very slowly, but grow it does, as long as we, as nation, keep pulling the noxious weeds, like we did this week.
and I’m glad to have found other people who recognize the human rights aspect to the whole situation. thx for your support and writing, it is a treasure. paz
Those raw nerves aren’t isolated in the western border states, believe me. Here I am in NE Pa and we have a large wave of immigrants here as well. (As well as many counties named after Native Americans like Lackawanna and Susquehanna) I have a friend who works for the State; she works with people who are applying for county and state assistance in a variety of programs. She claims that the vast majority of applicants in recent years are illegals and she rails against them. I haven’t changed her mind, but I have gotten her to admit that it isn’t their fault that so many are so desperate for work; that our borders are porous; that the US government has turned a blind eye so those immigrants can be exploited by business; that they have a right to live, to be happy.
I think about those Native American tribes that occupied this land I live on… and I wonder if this fear of immigrants comes from another tribal memory of European immigrants who destroyed the native people and just took what they want. Only this time modern Americans fancy themselves as the victims. Republican rule and oppression of our middle classes has made knee jerk reactions to immigrants inevitable. If the middle class can get some relief, will they be more willing to accept those millions who are already here? I hope so. If we only could drop that victim mentality, things wouldn’t seem so dire. I also am hopeful that this congress can make some real headway with a worker program as well as border control. The wall breaks my heart and always will, but it’s not well funded or built yet. There is always hope.
as you know it’s a complicated issue. The biggest blowhard, Lou Dobbs, along with others have succeeded in equating all “illegal aliens” with border crossers. The fact is the majority of undocumented immigrants here have long histories here where their status has gone in default due to tightening restrictions. My biggest concern is family unification and I’m hopeful that it will finally be addressed in a sane way. While it will be harder for many in their community to receive services, they will find a way because it is a survival instinct to protect loved ones.
As for the wall, I don’t know what it going to happen as there is much opposition to it from both sides of the line. I wouldn’t be surprised if more local government entities in the southern counties pass resolutions barring the further militarization of their area. We shall see! paz y esperanza – you’re right, there is always hope.
The house left it essentialy unfunded. It’s left to the lame duck session to figure out a way to appropriate the money. Without an election, no real pressure from Bush and so many key anti-immigration players leaving, I can’t see them taking up what would be a major fight. My take is they’ll just let the whole thing fade away in hopes that they can revitalize their base in the future and say “see we authorized a wall and the next congress wouldn’t pay for it”
Beside they REALLY need to keep their powder dry (how ironic) for the upcoming fight for comprehensive reform.
I believe the bottom line is that 20 members on Tancredo’s Anti-Immigrant Coalition were defeated. CIR should be passed.
expected to grow their coalition and it’s clear that the opposite happened. I’m glad more voices of moderation/supporters of comprehensive reform will be joining the ranks of the political class.
All the anti-immigrant bashing led to 73% Latino vote for the Democrats. Compare this to W’s taking of 55% of the Latino vote in 2004 clearly show the Republicans have lost any ground with the Latino vote.
It seem the Republicans just can’t remember the favor Pete Wilson did for Democrats in California.
Now we need to ensure that the Democrats they trusted and helped elect earn their keep.
Thanks for the overview of the election in your region, M.
The use of immigration as a wedge issue, associating it with terrorism, crime, and economic hardship for Americans who didn’t see themselves as immigrants has been awful. It’s like breaking a hole in a wall and seeing thousands of ugly vermin flow out: hidden racists, bigots, and lovers of violence, running for blood spilled on the floor, with little fear of being stopped.
The election at least offered a small, first opportunity to shine a wider ray of light on this sickening group of people. Some people are horrified at the bigots that have been brought out into the open and given tacit if not outright approval by their party’s leadership. Others are surprised that they lost votes in Latino and other ethnic communities.
Maybe these awful excesses will have their uses in the long run, helping to changing attitudes. I hope so. I’m trying to be a little optimistic about this bad period in our history.