Arizona Voters Oust 7 Foes of Mecham

PHOENIX —  Five months after Arizona legislators ousted Gov. Evan Mecham from office, voters have given him a measure of vengeance by rejecting seven Republican legislators who helped impeach and convict him.

Among the losers in Tuesday’s GOP primaries was Senate President Carl Kunasek, defeated by Mecham supporter Jerry Gillespie, who proclaimed that Arizona residents “have begun the process of regaining control of their state government.”

House Speaker Joe Lane, who started the impeachment process last fall, also lost.

The results of the voting hardly constituted a sweep by the pro-Mecham forces, however. Overall, 35 GOP legislators faced primary challenges, and 27 of those advanced to the general election. One of the losers was a Mecham supporter.