Immigration a Key Issue in Arizona Politics

It’s a night like any other at Granny’s Closet Bar and Restaurant in Flagstaff.

Lights low, a handful of people are gathered at what’s more of a blue-collar bar than a college hangout. Christmas lights dot the ceiling; a statue of a giant lumberjack stands out front. Bud Light seems to be the drink of choice.

Then the issue turns to illegal immigration and the mood sours.

“Too many of them immigrants are coming over here and taking jobs from American citizens,” says Kiley Fellars, a 32-year-old power-line worker from Buckeye.

“They get over into our country and then they cause havoc and grief,” chimes in Charlie Thompson, 28, a resident of Surprise and fellow member of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers.

From the sprawling suburbs of the East Valley to the boutiques of Sedona and the border towns farther south, illegal immigration is on the minds of voters and the lips of politicians. It could be the issue of 2006 in Arizona politics.

That’s borne out by results of a recent Arizona Republic Poll of 602 registered voters.

More than nine in 10 respondents said a candidate’s approach to illegal immigration would be at least somewhat important when it comes to deciding their vote for governor. Nearly two-thirds called the issue very important.

“It is undoubtedly the biggest issue for this year,” Arizona State University pollster Bruce Merrill said. “In my own work, it’s clearly coming out as the main issue.”

Source: Arizona Republic, Jan. 2, 2006

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