Wednesday, September 23, 2009

1st Major Candidate into AZ Governor’s Race? Paradise Valley’s Mayor Vernon Parker to Make Major Announcement Before Hundreds Wednesday Evening


Paradise Valley, AZ September 22, 2009: Against the symbolic backdrop of Camelback Mountain just before sunset, Paradise Valley Mayor Vernon Parker is expected to make a major announcement regarding the 2010 Governor’s race on Wednesday evening. If he declares, Parker would be the first major candidate to jump into the gubernatorial race. The speech is expected to cover a wide range of topics facing Arizona, the need for change, a new voice for the Arizona GOP and Parker’s amazing life story.

Several hundred people are expected at the September event of “Politics on the Rocks.”

Mayor Parker grew up in Long Beach, California in an area where it was as tough as it gets. There were times when Parker would arrive home from school to find furniture missing because his uncle had stolen and sold whatever he could carry away to support his heroin addiction. In a city where kids are more likely to succumb to gang affiliation, Vernon instead worked his way through community college and the public universityultimately graduating from Georgetown Law School. While attending Georgetown, Mayor Parker served as Editor in Chief of the Georgetown American Criminal Law Review.

After law school, Vernon served as General Counsel of the United States Office of Personnel Management in Washington, DC, and he served in the White House as Special Assistant to President George H. W. Bush. He also served President George W. Bush as the first ever Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights for the United States Department of Agriculture. The U.S. Senate confirmed him unanimously. He now serves as the Mayor of Paradise Valley, having won with a record 67 percent of the vote in 2008, in his first try for office.

Arizona voices view Mayor Parker’s possible run for governor favorably.

“Vernon is an excellent, compelling voice for the Arizona Republican Party in this state,” said Paul Gilbert, a prominent Valley attorney who served as Gov. Mitt Romney’s Arizona Chairman during his 2008 run for president.

If elected governor Mayor Parker would be the first African American Republican governor in U.S. history.

“Mayor Parker is a stand-up guy with an unbelievable personal story. His candidacy would be very good for our Party and potentially our state,” said Maricopa County Sherriff Joe Arpaio qualifying that he has still not closed the door completely on running for governor himself and is not yet endorsing any candidate for governor if he does not run.

“Mayor Parker has served the residents of Paradise Valley well and would bring his collaborative style and strong leadership skills to the Governor's Office. I hope he decides to run because he is the kind of change we need in state leadership,” said Town of Paradise Valley Councilwoman Pam Kirby.

Event Details:

Mayor Parker will be speaking at “Politics on the Rocks” tomorrow, September 23rd at 5:30pm. Over 300 people are expected to attend. The event will be held at theInterContinental Montelucia Resort and Spa in Paradise Valley. The Resort is located at4949 E Lincoln Drive Paradise Valley, Arizona 85253.


Contact:

Jason Rose

Rose & Allyn Public Relations

Office: 480. 423.1414

Mobile: 602. 791.4488

jrose@roseandallynpr.com

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