Far-right Republican former member of the Arizona State
Senate. He rose to national prominence as the
primary sponsor of Arizona SB1070, a controversial
anti-illegal immigrant measure that was signed into
law in 2010. He was elected President of the Arizona
Senate when the Senate began its January 2011 term
but then suffered a dramatic reversal of fortune
when he was ousted in a November 2011 recall
election, the first legislator in Arizona history to
be so removed from office. He served as Vice-Chair
of the Arizona GOP, but he resigned the position in
September 2014 after controversy over a eugenicist
comment about forced sterilization of poor women on
Medicaid. Prior to his election to the Arizona
Senate in 2008, Pearce served in the Arizona House
of Representatives from 2001 to 2009
"Russell Pearce was the only
sitting Senate president in any state ever to be
recalled from office. He was also the moving force
behind SB1070 and a host of other anti-immigrant
bills in the Arizona Legislature."
"It may take the shedding of
blood to keep this Republic and I, for one, am
willing to do whatever it takes," Pearce told a
crowd that included members from anti-immigrant
groups and other extremist organizations."
Apr. 18, 2019
Screen
capture taken April 4, 2018. Please note the
fourth name from the bottom.
"The far-right former lawmaker who helped
push Arizona's "papers please" immigration
law has resigned as a top official with the
state GOP after making comments about
sterilizing poor women."
"Disgraced, recalled ex-state
Senate President Russell Pearce's doomed comeback
campaign wants voters to buy the line that he's all
goodness and light these days, as if an entire
career built on lies and hate never occurred. One of
the latest flyers to hit the mailboxes of Republican
voters in Legislative District 25, where Pearce
desperately is trying to claw his way back into the
state Senate, features a huge image of a sleeping
baby and an inset of a smiling Pearce feeding an
infant."
Aug. 23, 2012
Center
for
Arizona
Policy
2012
Candidate
Questionnaire
Position Sought:
State
Senate
LD-25
Question
9: Amending the United States Constitution to define marriage as the union of one man and one woman.
Candidates'
Position: Support
Question
11: Adding
“sexual
orientation,”
“gender
identity,”
or
“gender
expression”
to the
protected
classes
of race,
religion,
age,
sex, and
ancestry
in
nondiscrimination
law.
Candidates'
Position: Oppose
Question
15: Protecting professionals from being required to provide services that violate their moral or religious beliefs.*
"An open records request to
former Arizona state Senator Russell Pearce netted
thousands of email records sent from Pearce's
account that suggest Arizona's SB 1070, which was
taken up as an American Legislative Exchange Council
"model bill" but recently struck down in large part
by the U.S. Supreme Court, was motivated by racism
and xenophobia."
"Former Arizona State Sen.
Russell Pearce wrote a missive Saturday highlighting
the collective failure of the victims of the Aurora,
Colo. massacre to stop the shooter who left 12
people dead and nearly 60 wounded in a movie
theater."
"Former
Arizona state Senate President Russell
Pearce,
the author of his state’s draconian
anti-immigrant law, S.B. 1070, is notorious
for making outrageous claims about the
supposed dangers posed by immigrants – both
documented and not."
"According to the Yellow
Sheet, Pearce made this crack about what he and his
buddy Sheriff Joe Arpaio would do if workers stood
up for their rights and demonstrated: “I’ve
spoken with the sheriff, and he has some nice buses
that hold a lot of people. We’ve also got some tents
with a view.”
"Kudos to KPHO/Channel 5 for
reporting on allegations of child abuse involving
state Senate president Russell Pearce's son Joshua
Pearce [...] This morning, Mesa Police Department
spokesman Edward Wessing confirmed the stats on
Josh's run-ins with the Mesa cops: 21 involvements
as an adult, 10 as a juvenile, and 10 adult
arrests."
"This
video shows State Senator Russell Pearce
endorsing JT Ready (AZ's most famous White
Supremacist) in 2006 for Mesa City Council.
The footage has never been seen by the
public until now. The footage and the Mormon
Document and picture was given to Steve
Lemons (Phoenix New Times) by a confidential
source. He gave me a copy.
The video also shows Pearce deny knowing
Ready in 2007 as well as an exclusive
interview with JT Ready telling his side of
the story. It's interesting. According to
Ready, they use to hang on his porch and
tell Mexican jokes. I asked Ready if Pearce
ever told him to "cool it" as JT Ready
openly supports NSM and other white
supremacist ideals. Ready stated that he
never did but his wife, Lu Ann had as she
was concerned of Russell's career.
Probably the most interesting thing is Ready
explaining his relationship and role with
Pearce's long-time political crusade against
Mexicans. It's also important to note that
while JT Ready seems to be telling the
truth-I have no way of verifying everything
he says. I will give him credit as so far he
seems to show more integrity and honesty
then Senator Pearce. Ready is not happy with
Pearce's recent activities with Lobbyists,
his public disapproval of the NSM march on
Nov 13, 2010 and his repeated denial of
their long time friendship and political
alliance on the immigration issue. Mr.
Pearce should probably get honest real soon
as the skeletons in his closet are messy and
plenty and its time to take them out. I have
more info and will be releasing it. If I
were him, I'd come clean first. The people
of Arizona deserve the truth."
2010 Survey
Questions For
Arizona And County
Candidates
Position Sought:
State Senate
LD-18
Question
9: Amending the United States Constitution to define marriage as the union of one man and one woman.
Candidates'
Position: Support
Question
12: Adding
“sexual
orientation,”
“gender
identity,”
or
“gender
expression”
to the
protected
classes
of race,
religion,
age,
sex, and
ancestry
in
nondiscrimination
law.
Candidates'
Position: Oppose
Question
15: Protecting professionals from being required to provide services that violate their moral or religious beliefs.*
