Republican State Sen. Rich Crandall taking job in Wyoming

By Craig McDermott, cross-posted from Random Musings

 

From KPHO.com (Phoenix Channel 5), written by Phil Benson -

An Arizona state senator has been chosen to run the Wyoming Education Department. 

Wyoming Gov. Matt Mead late Wednesday afternoon announced his choice of Richard Crandall, of Mesa, who co-owns two nutritional service companies.

 This isn't exactly breaking news - it's been common knowledge for months that Crandall was leaving to "pursue other opportunities".

In my previous post covering this topic, I predicted that Crandall would catch on with a (potential) Jeb Bush presidential campaign.  This would seem to show that prediction to be incorrect, however, the job in Wyoming may be a temp job.

From the KPHO article -

Mead and the Legislature enacted a new law this past winter removing the statewide elected superintendent of public instruction as head of the Education Department. Instead, the department will be administered by a director appointed by the governor.

The change occurred in the middle of Superintendent Cindy Hill's four-year term. Hill is challenging the constitutionality of the change.

The press release from Wyoming's governor is here.

So far as I can tell, Crandall has yet to submit his resignation from the state senate.  Once he does, however, the fun will start.

Former state senator Russell Pearce, the subject of a historic recall election in 2011 appeared on KTVK's Politics Unplugged this past weekend.  When asked about future political aspirations, he responded coyly and ambiguously, neither confirming nor refuting plans to run for office next year.  However, there have been rumors that he is looking at a return to the senate, either by challenging incumbent LD25 senator Bob Worsley or by moving a little east into Crandall's current district, LD16.

If Pearce does make that move, it will be an exercise in irony. 

Crandall made the same move after the redistricting process placed him in the same district (LD25) as Pearce, a longtime political adversary (just because they're Rs doesn't mean they like each other).  Crandall chose to move into LD16 to avoid a primary battle with Pearce.  In LD16, Crandall defeated Pearce ally John Fillmore, avoiding Pearce but still deepening the bad blood between the two camps.

However it works out in LD16, it probably won't be as entertaining as what happened at the Texas lege on Tuesday, but it will still be fun to watch in a "get your popcorn and put up your feet" kind of way.

Comments

[Bess1919]

Unqualified. What is with this?

[David Safier]

By Arizona Republican standards, Crandall is probably a moderate. I don't know where he fits into Wyoming education politics.

Interesting that Crandall is a governor appointee, replacing someone voted in. So what's the connection between Gov. Matt Mead and Crandall?

[Craig]

Looking into it, but if the there are more than a couple of layers between Mead and Crandall, or if it is personal and not documented on paperwork, it will be tough to find. Trips to Wyoming aren't in the blogging budget. :)