1988 Arizona Senate election should not be confused with 1988 United States Senate election in Arizona.
| Election Name: | 1988 Arizona Senate election |
| Country: | Arizona |
| Type: | legislative |
| Ongoing: | no |
| Previous Election: | 1986 Arizona Senate election |
| Previous Year: | 1986 |
| Election Date: | November 8, 1988 |
| Next Election: | 1990 Arizona Senate election |
| Next Year: | 1990 |
| Seats For Election: | All 30 seats of the Arizona Senate |
| Majority Seats: | 16 |
| Leader1: | Robert B. Usdane |
| Party1: | Arizona Republican Party |
| Seats Before1: | 19 |
| Seats After1: | 17 |
| Seat Change1: | 2 |
| Leader2: | Alan Stephens |
| Party2: | Arizona Democratic Party |
| Seats Before2: | 11 |
| Seats After2: | 13 |
| Seat Change2: | 2 |
| Senate President | |
| Before Election: | Carl J. Kunasek[1] |
| Before Party: | Arizona Republican Party |
| After Election: | Robert B. Usdane[2] |
| After Party: | Arizona Republican Party |
The 1988 Arizona Senate election was held on November 8, 1988. Voters elected members of the Arizona Senate in all 30 of the state's legislative districts to serve a two-year term. Primary elections were held on September 13, 1988.[3]
Prior to the elections, the Republicans held a majority of 19 seats over the Democrats' 11 seats.
Following the election, Republicans maintained control of the chamber with 17 Republicans to 13 Democrats, a net gain of two seats for Democrats.[4]
The newly elected senators served in the 39th Arizona State Legislature.
| District | Incumbent | Party | Elected Senator | Outcome | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| John U. Hays | John U. Hays | Rep Hold | |||||
| Tony Gabaldon | Dem | Tony Gabaldon | Dem Hold | ||||
| James Henderson Jr. | James Henderson Jr. | Dem Hold | |||||
| A.V. "Bill" Hardt | Dem | A.V. "Bill" Hardt | Dem Hold | ||||
| Jones Osborn | Dem | Jones Osborn | Dem Hold | ||||
| Alan J. Stephens | Dem | Alan J. Stephens | Dem Hold | ||||
| Peter Rios | Dem | Peter Rios | Dem Hold | ||||
| Carol Lee Macdonald | Gus Arzberger | Dem Gain | |||||
| Jeffrey J. Hill | Jeffrey J. Hill | Rep Hold | |||||
| Jesus "Chuy" Higuera | Dem | Jesus "Chuy" Higuera | Dem Hold | ||||
| Jaime P. Gutierrez | Dem | Jaime P. Gutierrez | Dem Hold | ||||
| John T. Mawhinney | John T. Mawhinney | Rep Hold | |||||
| Greg Lunn | David C. Bartlett | Dem Gain | |||||
| William J. "Bill" DeLong | William J. "Bill" DeLong | Rep Hold | |||||
| S.H. "Hal" Runyan | Bob Denny | Rep Hold | |||||
| Wayne Stump | Wayne Stump | Rep Hold | |||||
| Patricia "Pat" Wright | Patricia "Pat" Wright | Rep Hold | |||||
| Tony West | Leo Corbet | Rep Hold | |||||
| Jan Brewer | Jan Brewer | Rep Hold | |||||
| Lela Alston | Lela Alston | Dem Hold | |||||
| Carl J. Kunasek | Jerry Gillespie | Rep Hold | |||||
| Manuel "Lito" Peña Jr. | Manuel "Lito" Peña Jr. | Dem Hold | |||||
| Carolyn Walker | Carolyn Walker | Dem Hold | |||||
| Pete Corpstein | Pete Corpstein | Rep Hold | |||||
| Jacque Steiner | Jacque Steiner | Rep Hold | |||||
| Peter Kay | Tom Patterson | Rep Hold | |||||
| Doug Todd | Doug Todd | Rep Hold | |||||
| Robert B. Usdane | Robert B. Usdane | Rep Hold | |||||
| Jack J. Taylor | Lester N. Pearce | Rep Hold | |||||
| James J. Sossaman | James J. Sossaman | Rep Hold | |||||
| align=center | District 1 • District 2 • District 3 • District 4 • District 5 • District 6 • District 7 • District 8 • District 9 • District 10 • District 11 • District 12 • District 13 • District 14 • District 15 • District 16 • District 17 • District 18 • District 19 • District 20 • District 21 • District 22 • District 23 • District 24 • District 25 • District 26 • District 27 • District 28 • District 29 • District 30 |
On February 8, 1988, the Arizona House of Representatives voted to impeach Governor Evan Mecham. This caused a schism in the Arizona Republican Party since the House was controlled by Republicans and the Governor was also a Republican.[5] [6]
Subsequent to the House's vote to impeach, the Senate then convened the impeachment trial of Governor Mecham. On March 30, 1988, the Senate voted to dismiss Article II (pertaining to false sworn statements) for fear of putting Mecham in a position of quasi double jeopardy due to the ongoing criminal proceedings in the Superior Court of Maricopa County.[7] The vote to dismiss Article II was Ayes-16, Noes-12, and Not Voting-2.
On April 4, 1988, the Senate voted on Article I (pertaining to obstruction of justice) and Article III (pertaining to misuse of funds) of the Articles of Impeachment. The Presiding Officer, at 4:56 p.m., announced that by a vote of 21 ayes and 9 noes, Evan Mecham was convicted of high crimes, misdemeanors or malfeasance in office, as contained in Article I of the Articles of Impeachment.[8] The Presiding Officer announced that by a vote of 26 ayes and 4 noes, Evan Mecham was convicted of high crimes, misdemeanors or malfeasance in office, as contained in Article III of the Articles of Impeachment.[9]
Having voted to convict on both Article I and Article III, the Senate then voted on whether to permanently disqualify Mecham from ever again holding any office of honor, trust, or profit in the State of Arizona. The Presiding Officer, at 5:30 p.m., announced that by a roll call vote of 17 ayes and 13 noes, Evan Mecham was not disqualified from holding any office of honor, trust or profit in the State.[10]
The table below summarizes the votes of each Senator during the Mecham impeachment trial and their subsequent fate in the 1988 elections.[11]
| District | Senator | Party | Article II | Article I | Article III | Permanently Disqualify Mecham | Senator's Electoral Outcome | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| John U. Hays | Do Not Dismiss | Aye | Aye | Aye | Re-elected | |||||||
| Tony Gabaldon | Dem | Dismiss | Aye | Aye | Aye | Re-elected | ||||||
| James Henderson Jr. | Dismiss | Aye | Aye | Aye | Re-elected | |||||||
| A.V. "Bill" Hardt | Dem | Dismiss | Aye | Aye | Aye | Re-elected | ||||||
| Jones Osborn | Dem | Dismiss | Aye | Aye | Aye | Re-elected | ||||||
| Alan J. Stephens | Dem | Dismiss | Aye | Aye | No | Re-elected | ||||||
| Peter Rios | Dem | Dismiss | Aye | Aye | No | Re-elected | ||||||
| Carol Lee Macdonald | Rep | Do Not Dismiss | Aye | Aye | Aye | Lost (General) | ||||||
| Jeffrey J. Hill | Rep | Dismiss | No | No | Aye | Re-elected | ||||||
| Jesus "Chuy" Higuera | Dem | Dismiss | Aye | Aye | Aye | Re-elected | ||||||
| Jaime P. Gutierrez | Dem | Dismiss | Aye | Aye | Aye | Re-elected | ||||||
| John T. Mawhinney | Rep | Do Not Dismiss | Aye | Aye | Aye | Re-elected | ||||||
| Greg Lunn | Rep | Not Voting | Aye | Aye | Aye | Retired | ||||||
| William J. "Bill" DeLong | Rep | Do Not Dismiss | Aye | Aye | Aye | Re-elected | ||||||
| S.H. "Hal" Runyan | Rep | Not Voting | Aye | Aye | Aye | Retired | ||||||
| Wayne Stump | Rep | Dismiss | No | No | No | Re-elected | ||||||
| Patricia "Pat" Wright | Rep | Dismiss | No | No | No | Re-elected | ||||||
| Tony West | Rep | Do Not Dismiss | Aye | Aye | Aye | Retired | ||||||
| Jan Brewer | Rep | Dismiss | No | No | No | Re-elected | ||||||
| Lela Alston | Dem | Dismiss | Aye | Aye | Aye | Re-elected | ||||||
| Carl J. Kunasek | Rep | Do Not Dismiss | No | Aye | No | Lost (Primary) | ||||||
| Manuel "Lito" Peña Jr. | Dem | Dismiss | Aye | Aye | No | Re-elected | ||||||
| Carolyn Walker | Dem | Dismiss | Aye | Aye | Aye | Re-elected | ||||||
| Pete Corpstein | Rep | Do Not Dismiss | Aye | Aye | No | Re-elected | ||||||
| Jacque Steiner | Rep | Do Not Dismiss | No | Aye | No | Re-elected | ||||||
| Peter Kay | Rep | Do Not Dismiss | No | Aye | No | Lost (Primary) | ||||||
| Doug Todd | Rep | Do Not Dismiss | Aye | Aye | Aye | Re-elected | ||||||
| Robert B. Usdane | Rep | Do Not Dismiss | No | Aye | No | Re-elected | ||||||
| Jack J. Taylor | Rep | Do Not Dismiss | Aye | Aye | No | Lost (Primary) | ||||||
| James J. Sossaman | Rep | Dismiss | No | Aye | No | Re-elected | ||||||