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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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Sources:
Wikipedia,
Ballotpedia & Vote
Smart |
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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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