Howard Shanker took strong anti-war, pro-single-payer health insurance, pro-environment and pro-choice stands in a debate among the Democratic candidates for Arizona’s first Congressional District seat Tuesday night, while Ann Kirkpatrick and Mary Kim Titla took more moderate positions on a number of issues.
All three candidates had strong ties to Native American tribes that live in the sprawling district. Shanker is a lawyer representing Indian tribes, Kirkpatrick was born on the White Mountain Apache Reservation and Titla is a member of the San Carlos Apache Tribe. The fourth candidate, Jeffrey Brown, was unable to attend the debate at a high school in Pinetop-Lakeside, Az.
The seat is open because of the retirement of Republican Rick Renzi, who will soon be going on trial for corruption.
On the war, Shanker said the U.S. needed a responsible and reasonable plan to get out of Iraq. Kirkpatrick emphasized she would make up her own mind on the issue and not be influenced by the Democratic leadership, while Titla emphasized she was a moderate Democrat, but wanted to get the troops out quickly.
Titla and Shanker favored a single-payer health plan, while Kirkpatrick advocated requiring insurers to cover pre-existing conditions, passing legislation to allow for negotiating lower prescription prices and providing more federal funding to state programs covering children.
Shanker and Kirkpatrick were pro-choice, while Titla was somewhat tentatively pro-life, adding she had pro-choice people in her campaign.
Shanker took tougher environmental stands, emphasizing his successful suits against mining and other corporations, while Titla and Kirkpatrick emphasized forest fire prevention.
All the candidates condemned President Bush’s No Child Left Behind education program, saying it encouraged teachers to spend too much class time preparing for tests.
Kirkpatrick emphasized her experience in the Arizona Legislature, helping to create voluntary full-day kindergarten in Arizona. Titla mentioned her experience as a television news reporter.
Kirkpatrick was tougher on immigration, calling it a national security issue, while Shanker advocated a system where people could become legal, and Titla emphasized a guest worker program.
All three gave passionate statements on the problems of meth amphetamine and alcohol in the district, and favored education and treatment.
The three candidates all favored developing alternatives to carbon fuels, emphasizing the potential for new jobs with solar energy development in the district. Shanker also mentioned the potential for wind energy, and the production of hydrogen using renewable energy resources.
Shanker won applause on a local issue, promising legislation to force the Forest Service to hand over a local park to the town.
There was a little bit of humor when the candidates got into something of a contest over who was the most Indian. Titla won by speaking fluent Apache. Kirkpatrick’s Apache included a large number of words that weren’t necessarily recognizable as Indian, and Shanker briefly introduction himself in passable Navajo. Shanker said his wife is part Indian, but not an enrolled member of any tribe.