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Immigration key issue in District 4 race
GOP primary pits Harper, Whalen


Carrie Watters
The Arizona Republic
Sept. 6, 2006 12:00 AM


Illegal immigration is the top issue cited by the two Republican candidates seeking the state Senate seat in District 4.

But it's not the only one.

Sen. Jack Harper, seeking his third term, said he was calling for National Guard troops at the border three years before the governor and president joined the chorus.

Challenger Willard "Bill" Whalen, a retired highway patrolman, says he has the background to build consensus with law enforcement agencies on border issues.

Voters will decide between the two in the Republican primary on Tuesday. The Republican nominee will then face Democratic candidate Ed Gogek in the Nov. 7 general election.

Fifty-one percent of registered voters in District 4 are registered as Republican. Only 24 percent are registered as Democrat, according to the Arizona Secretary of State's Office.

Harper criticized the retired lawman for a lawsuit he is filing against the Department of Public Safety. Whalen said the department violated policy when it tried to transfer him and that every citizen has a right to usethe judicial system.

Whalen called Harper an "embarrassment" for his antics that include criticizing, on the Senate floor, a Democrat for corruption in his household after his son was arrested on drug charges.

"District 4 is politically bankrupt . . . other senators just back away from him," Whalen said.

Whalen said he is an "un-hyphenated Republican," who would not use his religious beliefs to legislate.

Harper stands strong on issues like abortion. "We need to protect the sanctity of life," he said.

Here's what the two primary race candidates say are their top three issues.

Harper, 38 of Surprise, owns a marketing company.


• Immigration: A former National Guardsman, Harper supports Guardsmen training at the border, rather than at Camp Navajo in Flagstaff. He favors employer sanctions and using law enforcement to detain undocumented immigrants. He voted to put two measures on the ballot to prohibit undocumented immigrants from suing for punitive damages and to prohibit access to public services.


• Transportation: The West Valley doesn't fare well in the 20-year transportation plan, said Harper, who wants to accelerate the plan, including the extension of Jomax Road from Loop 303 to the Sun Valley Parkway.


• Abortion: He would pursue legislation to reduce abortions in Arizona.

Whalen, 51, lives in Glendale.


• Immigration: He favors using law enforcement to detain undocumented immigrants who have gotten past federal agents, but he said officers must have the resources. He also favors fencing and high-tech monitoring. "If there's no accountability, people will not follow the rules of society," he said.


• Transportation: Highways were improperly funded during the economic downturn a few years ago. He would make sure the Highway User Fund is used for that purpose and that substantive data is used to fund projects with the greatest need. In the West Valley, that includes Interstates 10 and 17 and Loop 303.


• Government accountability: Lawmakers should do a better job of holding agencies accountable, he said.