Sun Lakes Republican Club Minutes
When: Wednesday Feb. 14, 2024 6:30-8:30pm
Where: Sun Lakes Country Club in the AZ Room
Who: approximately 200 people
AGENDA : “State of the State”
- Chairman Michael Tennant greeted the guests.
- First Vice-Chairman Carolyn McCorkle led us in the Invocation.
- Chairman Micheal Tennant led us in the Pledge of Allegiance.
- There were many last minute adjustments to this evening’s program due to a change in meeting rooms and other factors relating to the guest speakers.
- We met in the AZ room rather than the Navajo room due to a local Valentine’s Day party with a live band out on the patio and the Karaoke group having been moved to the Navajo Room. So there was a lot of competing background noise.
- Our first speaker was Jerry Sheridan. He is running for County Sheriff. His website is https://sheridan4sheriff2024.com/ He worked under Sheriff Joe Arpaio for many years. His website platform includes the following and more :
- Restoring the aggressive drug interdiction team of detectives to the southern parts of Maricopa County. According to Mr. Sheridan, the influx of dangerous drugs like heroin and fentanyl has basically gone unchecked in the Vekol Valley since the current Sheriff, Paul Penzone disbanded the unit in early 2017. Reinstating this drug smuggling unit will be one of his top priorities.
- Right now, he said, morale at the MCSO is at an all-time low. He said he has dedicated his entire career at MCSO – 35 years as a supervisor, 20 years as an Executive Chief, 12 years running the jails, and 6 years as the Chief Deputy overseeing the entire Sheriff’s Office and has proven experience of turning things around at that agency.
- He said that the Sheriff’s Posse is just as much a part of the Sheriff’s Office as the Sheriff himself. The Posse not only saved taxpayers millions of dollars every year by donating countless hours, but its members also worked alongside deputies in all facets of their duties. He claims what the former Sheriff did to them is a disgrace. He will reinstate the Posse to its full strength. He says “We must enforce existing laws and we must enforce the Rule of Law.” You can see more of his platform on his website.
- The second County Sheriff candidate, Mike Crawford, was not present this evening.
- Senate President JD Mesnard was the next speaker. He said he hopes that they will have a budget by April but with a “split government” and “shortfall in funds” it will be difficult. There will be many meetings to figure out how to make cuts to the budget because we have a 6% deficit. The budget is $17Billion but 90% of that is already mandated to go to certain things and cannot be cut. 90% of the budget already goes to schools, police and fire and agencies of that sort. It will be hard to cut what is left especially when we have a governor who has vetoed most of the bills that have gone to her desk. He warned us that both chambers (Senate and House) could “flip” and become democrat majority if we cannot get our people out to vote-including the independent voters. He reminded us how important it is to vote all the way down the ballot. Things like school boards affect our lives even more than some of the things at the “top” of the ticket. SLRC will send out emails with advice on voting so as to assure we elect a conservative government that will preserve our values. Our legislative district (#13), he reported, is the most highly contested district of all (there are 30 LDs) so we need to protect our republican majority in LD #13. You can see more at his website and make donations there too: https://www.jdmesnard.com/ All his contact information is there as well.
- The next speaker was Chandler City Councilman Mark Stewart. He has been on the Chandler City Council since 2016 and his term ends in January of 2025. He is running for the open seat on the Maricopa County District Board of Supervisors in District 1. District one includes all of Sun Lakes. He said he has been endorsed by Congressman Andy Biggs. He is also active in the Chamber of Commerce. You can contact him at mark@markstewartaz.com or call 877-959-8590. You can read more about him on his website here: https://markstewartaz.com/
- Carolyn McCorkle announced the subject of the March club meeting: “It Goes To Far”. Senator Nancy Barto will explain how the recent petition being circulated “goes too far”. There will be candidates for the AZ Corporation Commission, Maricopa County Treasurer, and Maricopa County Superintendent of Schools among others. Chandler School Board candidates will also be there.
- The 50/50 raffle winner won $78 at tonight’s meeting.
- The next meeting will be the second Wednesday of March, March 13th, at 6:30pm. We expect to be back in the Navajo Room at that time.
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