Gov. Janet Napolitano (D) Elected 2002, 1st term up Jan. 2007
Born:	Nov. 29, 1957, New York City
Home:	Phoenix
Education:	Santa Clara U., B.A. 1979, U. of VA, J.D. 1983
Religion:	Methodist
Marital Status:	single
Elected  Office:	AZ Atty. Gen., 1998-02.
Professional Career:	Clerk, U.S. Appeals Ct. Judge Mary Schroder, 1983-84; Practicing atty., 1984-93; AZ U.S. atty., 1994-98.
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Janet Napolitano, a Democrat, in 2002 became the second woman in a row to be elected governor of Arizona. Napolitano was born in New York City and grew up in Pittsburgh and Albuquerque, where her father helped establish the University of New Mexico medical school. She graduated from Santa Clara University and the University of Virginia law school, and moved to Phoenix in 1983 to clerk for Judge Mary Schroeder, currently the chief judge on the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals. She practiced corporate law, volunteered as an attorney for the state Democratic party and later joined the team of lawyers representing Anita Hill at the hearings on the confirmation of Clarence Thomas in October 1991. In 1993 she was appointed U.S. Attorney for Arizona where she served until she ran for attorney general in 1998; she was elected by a 50%-47% margin in a year in which the top 5 statewide offices were won by women of which Napolitano was the only Democrat. As Attorney General, she got plenty of good publicity. She pursued Qwest for its bad telephone service on charges of consumer fraud. She negotiated a $217 million settlement with Arthur Andersen on behalf of investors. She sued Ford for explosions in Crown Victoria police cars. She reduced the number of open child abuse and neglect cases from 6,000 to 700.

By October 2001 Napolitano's work as attorney general had earned her a 55% positive job rating, and she was obviously running for governor (Hull was term limited). She was motivated, she said, after she was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2000 and after having a successful mastectomy; she wanted to work on health care. She announced in January 2002 and in April 2002 presented the 6,000 nominating petitions and 6,000 $5 contributions that qualified her for financing under the Clean Elections Act passed by voters in 1998. She received public financing of $409,000 for the September primary and $615,000 for the general election. She campaigned as a "conservative Democrat" and was criticized as "too Republican" by one primary opponent. But she was able to enlist the help of the fire fighters' union and the United Food and Commercial Workers to amass her nominating petitions and $5 contributions.

The leading Republican candidate was former Congressman Matt Salmon, who was first elected in 1994 and retired in 2000 pursuant to his term limit promise. His high point in the House came in November 1998 when he announced he would not vote for Newt Gingrich for speaker--a move that prompted Gingrich's resignation three days after the election. Salmon is a Mormon who did missionary work in Taiwan, speaks Mandarin Chinese, rides a Harley Davidson and fronts an Elvis cover band. Both candidates won their primaries by wide margins. Napolitano led former state Senator Alfredo Gutierrez 57%-22% and Salmon led Secretary of State Betsey Bayless 56%-30%. In the race as an Independent was Richard Mahoney, a Democrat elected Secretary of State in 1990, who qualified for the Clean Elections Act money. He attacked both nominees. "Are Matt and Janet going to take on the oil companies or the special interests? Tweedledum and Tweedledee, Salmon and Napolitano." He portrayed himself as more conservative on fiscal issues than Salmon and more liberal on cultural issues than Napolitano.

In the general election, Napolitano relied on her record as Attorney General and called for closing loopholes and cutting spending to make up the budget shortfalls; she supported the death penalty. Salmon opposed tax increases--"I will not raise taxes, go after shared revenues or make cuts in the classroom"--and announced a Workforce 2010 plan to create 500,000 jobs paying more than $40,000. The tone of their campaigns was different. Napolitano was businesslike and stressed her experience. Salmon said he wanted to bring God back into government and his ads showed him with his wife and four children (Napolitano is unmarried). The Clean Elections Act played a role: Salmon declined the Clean Elections money, and raised his own, more slowly than he had hoped. But the proceeds he got from a George W. Bush fundraiser were a mixed blessing: The law requires the state to pay candidates who have accepted the Clean Elections funding (and the concomitant limitations on spending) an amount equal to what candidates who decline the Clean Elections Act money raise above its limits. So every dollar Bush raised for Salmon above that amount put a dollar in Napolitano's campaign treasury.

This proved to be a very close election. On election night and Wednesday, Napolitano had a 25,000-vote lead, but there were 200,000 ballots uncounted--mostly early ballots from Phoenix's Maricopa County and Tucson's Pima County, conceivably enough to overcome Napolitano's lead. Counting went on, and by Sunday Napolitano led by 11,000 votes, with only 11,000 left to count; Salmon conceded. Salmon carried Maricopa County, which cast 57% of the state's votes, but by only 48%-44%. Napolitano won Pima County 52%-39%. In the smaller counties, the "conservative Democrat" led 46%-44%. Overall, Napolitano won 46%-45%, with 7% for Mahoney--from which candidate his votes had come was anyone's guess. This was the first orderly transition from one governor to another since 1986, and Napolitano pledged to, as she had done as Attorney General, not to sweep out everybody. "We'll keep some who are already there. I don't plan to take a big broom in." But the broom may turn out to be needed. Estimates for the budget shortfall were in the magnitude of $1 billion.

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1700 W. Washington, Phoenix 85007, 602-542-4331; Fax: 602-542-7601; Web: www.state.az.us.

Election Results (More Info)
	Candidate	Total Votes	Percent
2002 general	Janet Napolitano (D)	566,284	46%
	Matt Salmon (R)	554,465	45%
	Richard Mahoney (I)	84,947	7%
	Other	20,415	2%
2002 primary	Janet Napolitano (D)	128,702	57%
	Alfredo Gutierrez (D)	50,377	22%
	Mark Osterloh (D)	31,422	14%
	Mike Newcomb (D)	14,373	6%
1998 general	Jane Dee Hull (R)	620,188	61%
	Paul Johnson (D)	361,552	36%
	Other	35,876	4%