Cortes to remain on ballot
Arizona Central–Judge Edward Burke has ruled that Olivia Cortes will remain on the Nov. 8 recall ballot.
Burke, in his nine-page ruling, found that supporters of Russell Pearce recruited Cortes to siphon Hispanic votes from Lewis in order to help Pearce. He also found that without that support — particularly from Greg Western, chairman of the East Valley Tea Party — she would have had “no chance of qualifying as a candidate.”
But that, he said, is not enough of a reason to disqualify her from the ballot.
“Although the court finds that Cortes was ‘recruited’ to run by Western, at the behest of Pearce supporters, to divert votes from Lewis for Pearce’s benefit, this court is not convinced that courts should examine and be the final arbiter of the motives political candidates may have for running for election…”