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Thom, Somers Signs Sprout Near Mesa Temple: Candidates Vying for District 6 Mormon Votes, Officials Say

Posted on: Saturday, 11 February 2006, 18:00 CST

By Brian Powell, The Tribune, Mesa, Ariz.

Feb. 11--Two non-Mormon City Council candidates have ventured miles away from their southeast Mesa district in search of Mormon votes.

Campaign signs for Mesa Councilwoman Janie Thom and challenger Scott Somers have been placed in the front yards surrounding the Mormon Temple in downtown Mesa -- even though those residents cannot vote for those candidates.

While the candidates tried to downplay the reason for the signs, two Mormon members of the Mesa City Council say the signs are there to catch the eye of temple visitors who may live in southeast Mesa's District 6, which runs from Val Vista Drive and Broadway Road southeast to the Queen Creek border.

"For them it has to do with getting the attention of who is coming to visit the temple," said Mesa Councilman Kyle Jones, who is Mormon and running for re-election in District 4, which includes the temple area.

Neither Thom nor Somers belong to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, which does not endorse candidates but encourages members to vote.

Earlier this week, the Tribune reported an attempt by Mormon Charlie Powell, a former City Council candidate, to rally Mormons against the city's proposed property tax.

Powell's tactics were sharply criticized by a church spokesman.

The city property tax and sales tax increase proposals will be on the May 16 ballot.

Somers said he did not know who placed his signs around the temple, although Jones said his father has asked supporters posting his signs in the front yard to also include Somers' sign.

Thom says Somers placed the signs there first and she was just responding to requests from her supporters.

Thom has included the Republican elephant mascot on her signs even though the City Council race is nonpartisan.

Both Thom and Somers are registered Republicans.

Mesa voters in Districts 4, 5 and 6 will elect a council member March 14. Early voting began Thursday.

Vice Mayor Claudia Walters said her campaign signs surrounded the temple in 2004 even though she represents northwest Mesa's District 1.

"There is a lot of traffic and Mormons tend to turn out to vote," said Walters, who is Mormon. In District 4, Jones is being challenged by Pat Esparza, Ilias Kostopoulos, J.T. Ready and write-in candidate Jerry Spellman. In District 5, Councilman Rex Griswold is running unopposed.

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Copyright (c) 2006, The Tribune, Mesa, Ariz.

Distributed by Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News.

For information on republishing this content, contact us at (800) 661-2511 (U.S.), (213) 237-4914 (worldwide), fax (213) 237-6515, or e-mail reprints@krtinfo.com.

Source: The Tribune

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