Paradise Valley mayor expected to announce governor's run
Monday, September 14, 2009, 4:07pm MST | Modified: Monday, September 14, 2009, 6:18pm
Phoenix Business Journal - by Mike Sunnucks
Paradise Valley Mayor Vernon Parker is expected to announce later this month that he will take on incumbent Jan Brewer in the 2010 Republican primary.
Parker, 49, is expected to make the announcement Sept. 23 at an event at the Montelucia Resort and Spa in Paradise Valley. That would make Parker the first major Republican to officially throw his hat in the ring, however, there are numerous other likely prospects.
Brewer took over as governor in January when Janet Napolitano quit to become U.S. Homeland Security Secretary. Brewer is expected to run for reelection, but has come under fire for failure to work out a budget deal with the Legislature and for pushing a sales tax increase referendum.
Parker has been a vocal opponent of the sales tax plan. He was elected PV mayor in 2008 and is founder of VBP Group LLC, a public relations and human resource management firm.
He served in the administrations of George W. Bush and George H.W. Bush. Parker would be Arizona’s first African-American governor if elected and the first Republican, African-American governor in the U.S.
In 2008, the U.S. Small Business Administration questioned federal contracts awarded to VBP and whether Parker was still a federal employee when the awards were made. Parker insists he was not direct federal worker but a consultant at the time.
Federal employees are not allowed to get in on federal procurements. Portions of that case have been dropped.
Other likely Republican candidates include Treasurer Dean Martin, Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio and former Gov. Fife Symington. Arpaio has flirted with the idea before, but never pulled the trigger.
Arizona Attorney General Terry Goddard is expected to be the Democrat’s pick for governor next year.
Parker, 49, is expected to make the announcement Sept. 23 at an event at the Montelucia Resort and Spa in Paradise Valley. That would make Parker the first major Republican to officially throw his hat in the ring, however, there are numerous other likely prospects.
Brewer took over as governor in January when Janet Napolitano quit to become U.S. Homeland Security Secretary. Brewer is expected to run for reelection, but has come under fire for failure to work out a budget deal with the Legislature and for pushing a sales tax increase referendum.
Parker has been a vocal opponent of the sales tax plan. He was elected PV mayor in 2008 and is founder of VBP Group LLC, a public relations and human resource management firm.
He served in the administrations of George W. Bush and George H.W. Bush. Parker would be Arizona’s first African-American governor if elected and the first Republican, African-American governor in the U.S.
In 2008, the U.S. Small Business Administration questioned federal contracts awarded to VBP and whether Parker was still a federal employee when the awards were made. Parker insists he was not direct federal worker but a consultant at the time.
Federal employees are not allowed to get in on federal procurements. Portions of that case have been dropped.
Other likely Republican candidates include Treasurer Dean Martin, Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio and former Gov. Fife Symington. Arpaio has flirted with the idea before, but never pulled the trigger.
Arizona Attorney General Terry Goddard is expected to be the Democrat’s pick for governor next year.
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