We believe Gov. Janet Napolitano, a Democrat, a centrist and an able administrator, should be re-elected to a second term.
The governor's first term was marked - some would say blessed - by an upswing in the economy. In the last four years, Napolitano - helped by a burgeoning economy - turned a $1 billion state budget deficit, which she inherited when she took office in 2003, into a $1.4 billion surplus. She then demonstrated tenacity and skill in confrontations with state legislators over what to do with the surplus.
Napolitano has taken considerable heat over her stance on immigration issues that are by law relegated to the federal government. However, she accurately points out that she was the first governor to send National Guard troops to the border. The Bush administration followed suit, but considerably later.
The governor's performance has revealed an executive capable of conducting tough negotiations with legislative budget makers. She sees compromise as more useful than ideological intransigence.
One of her important achievements came 24 hours after she took the oath of office. She issued an executive order - bypassing the Legislature - that made discounted prescription drugs available to Medi-care-eligible senior citizens and the disabled. We saw that as a sign of purposeful leadership.
A great deal of the governor's success stems from the budget surplus. Both Democrats and Republicans claimed they were responsible for the surplus, but by the end of the legislative session the real test of leadership was in the decisions about what to do with the windfall.
The Republican legislators were adamant that it should be used for tax cuts. Napolitano saw it as an opportunity to improve services to Arizona citizens and bolster the state's rainy-day fund, which had been depleted by $114 million during the alternative-fuels fiasco that the Legislature created before her election.
When the economic winds shifted, she successfully advocated for putting money back into the rainy-day fund, allocating $100 million to increase teacher salaries, and, equally important to many young families, dedicated $160 million to expanding voluntary all-day kindergarten state-wide.
The significance of that move cannot be overstated.
It is true that the Legislature still has to approve funds for building extra classrooms to accommodate the huge influx of kindergartners, but when that's done it will add considerably to the early learning experiences of thousands of children.
By the end of the legislative session, the governor reached a compromise with legislative leaders that provided the tax cuts they advocated and money for programs for children and families that she insisted upon.
The governor's opponents are Republican Len Munsil, who is making his first run for public office, and Libertarian Barry Hess.
We endorse the governor for re-election because she achieved significant gains for Arizona citizens in her first four years and has a solid grasp of what needs to be done in a state that's expected to continue its pattern of rapid growth.
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