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Evan Mecham |
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Republican 17th governor of
Arizona, serving from January 5, 1987, until his
impeachment conviction on April 4, 1988. Periodic
runs for political office earned him a reputation as
a perennial candidate along with the nickname of
"The Harold Stassen of Arizona" before he was
elected governor, under the Republican banner. As
governor, Mecham was plagued by controversy almost
immediately after his inauguration and became the
first U.S. governor to simultaneously face removal
from office through impeachment, a scheduled recall
election, and a felony indictment. He was the first
Arizona governor to be impeached. Mecham served one
term as a state senator before beginning a string of
unsuccessful runs for public office. His victory
during the 1986 election began with a surprise win
of the Republican nomination, followed by a split of
the Democratic party during the general election,
resulting in a three-way race. While Governor,
Mecham became known for statements and actions that
were widely perceived as racially charged or racist.
Among these actions were the cancellation of the
state's paid Martin Luther King Jr. Day and creating
an unpaid King holiday on a Sunday, attributing high
divorce rates to working women, and his defense of
the word "pickaninny" in describing African American
children. In reaction to these events, a boycott of
Arizona was organized. A rift between the Governor
and fellow Republicans in the Arizona Legislature
developed after the Arizona Republic newspaper made
accusations of questionable political appointments
and cronyism, accusations that Mecham contended were
false. Having served from January 5, 1987, to April
4, 1988, Mecham was removed from office following
conviction in his impeachment trial on charges of
obstruction of justice and misuse of government
funds—funds that Mecham maintained were private. A
later criminal trial acquitted Mecham of related
charges. Following his removal from office, Mecham
remained active in politics for nearly a decade.
During this time, he served as a delegate to the
Republican National Convention and made his final
runs for Arizona governorship and also for the U.S.
Senate, in which he unsuccessfully challenged John
McCain as an independent. |
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Dirty Dozen:
Meet 12 Of The
Worst
Politicians
In Arizona
History |
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"Paranoid
political
kook and
Pontiac
dealer Evan
“Ev” Mecham was
elected
Arizona’s
17th
governor in
1986 with a
plurality in
a three-way
race that
split the
Democratic
vote.
Eighteen
months
later, the
diminutive
Archie
Bunker-like
bigot was
out on his
ass,
impeached
and
convicted by
the state
Legislature
on charges
of
obstruction
of justice
and misuse
of public
funds. " |
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Jan. 17,
2024 |
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The Mecham
Menace |
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"It's all on
the line,
now that a
suit has
been filed
to throw
former
Governor Evan
Mecham off
the primary
ballot." |
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Jul. 11,
1990 |
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Arizona's
Senate Ousts
Governor,
Voting Him
Guilty Of
Misconduct |
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Apr. 5, 1988 |
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Arizona
House Votes
46-14 To
Impeach
Mecham :
Governor
Must Step
Down From
Office
Pending A
Trial By The
State Senate |
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Feb. 7, 1988 |
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Quotes From
Arizona Gov.
Evan Mecham |
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"if
a band of
homosexuals
and a few
dissident
Democrats
can get me
out of
office, why
heavens, the
state
deserves
what else
they can
get.″ |
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Jan. 9, 1988 |
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Arizona
Voters May
Show
Governor The
Door |
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Nov. 1, 1987 |
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Gov. Evan
Mecham Says
He Finds
Nothing
Funny
About... |
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"says
he finds
nothing
funny about
a series of
'Doonesbury'
cartoon
strips
lampooning
him for his
remarks
about blacks
and
homosexuals
and he is
considering
a lawsuit." |
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Sep. 2, 1987 |
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Arizona's
Outspoken
New
Governor,
Evan Mecham,
Seems To
Enjoy Diving
Straight
Into
Political
Hot Water |
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"the
boycott--still
spreading--is
a protest
against the
policies and
actions of
the state's
new
shoot-from-the-lips
Governor, Evan
Mecham." |
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Aug. 24,
1987 |
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Arizona Torn
By
Governor-Elect's
Plan To Drop
King Holiday |
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Dec. 23,
1986 |
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