Evan Mecham
Evan Mecham | |
---|---|
Governor of Arizona | |
In office January 5, 1987 – April 4, 1988 | |
Preceded by | Bruce Babbitt |
Succeeded by | Rose Mofford |
Member of the Arizona Senate from the Maricopa County district | |
In office 1961–1963 Serving with Joe Haldiman | |
Preceded by | Hilliard Brooke Frank Murphy |
Succeeded by | Hilliard Brooke Paul Singer |
Personal details | |
Born | Duchesne, Utah, U.S. | May 12, 1924
Died | February 21, 2008 Phoenix, Arizona, U.S. | (aged 83)
Resting place | National Memorial Cemetery of Arizona |
Political party | Republican (Before 1992) Independent (1992–2008) |
Spouse |
Florence Lambert (m. 1945) |
Children | 7 |
Military service | |
Allegiance | United States |
Branch/service | United States Army |
Years of service | 1943–1945 |
Rank | Second Lieutenant |
Unit | U.S. Army Air Forces |
Battles/wars | World War II • European–African–Middle Eastern Campaign (POW) |
Awards | Purple Heart Air Medal |
Evan Mecham (/ˈmiːkəm/ MEE-kəm;[1] May 12, 1924 – February 21, 2008)[2] was an American businessman and the 17th governor of Arizona, serving from January 5, 1987, until his impeachment conviction on April 4, 1988. A decorated veteran of World War II, Mecham was a successful automotive dealership owner and occasional newspaper publisher.[3]
Periodic runs for political office earned him a reputation as a perennial candidate along with the nickname of "The Harold Stassen of Arizona" before he was elected governor, under the Republican banner.[4] As governor, Mecham was plagued by controversy almost immediately after his inauguration and became the first U.S. governor to simultaneously face removal from office through impeachment, a scheduled recall election, and a felony indictment.[5] He was the first and only Arizona governor to be impeached, as well as one of only 15 U.S. governors to be impeached.[citation needed]
Mecham served one term as a
Having served from January 5, 1987, to April 4, 1988, Mecham was removed from office following conviction in his impeachment trial on charges of obstruction of justice and misuse of government funds—funds that Mecham maintained were private. A later criminal trial acquitted Mecham of related charges. Following his removal from office, Mecham remained active in politics for nearly a decade. During this time, he served as a delegate to the Republican National Convention and made his final runs for the Arizona governorship and also for the U.S. Senate, in which he unsuccessfully challenged John McCain as an independent.
Early life and business career
Evan Mecham was born to parents who were members of
Mecham was an active member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He taught
Mecham enrolled at Arizona State College (now Arizona State University) in 1947 and majored in management and economics.[11] In 1950, he left school 16 credit hours short of a degree to start Mecham Pontiac and Rambler in Ajo.[14] Mecham relocated to Glendale in 1954 where he acquired and operated a Pontiac dealership until he sold it in March 1988. As a dealer, he appeared regularly in local television commercials and adopted his trademark motto of "If you can't deal with Mecham, you just can't deal." The Glendale dealership served as a base for other family-owned businesses, including Mecham Racing, Hauahaupan Mining Company and several auto dealerships in other states.[15]
In addition to his auto dealership, Mecham owned several short-lived newspapers. One of his papers, the Evening American, was printed as a
Political career
Mecham first sought elected office in 1952, while still living in Ajo, with an unsuccessful run for the
Following his campaign against Hayden, Mecham made an unsuccessful run for state chairman of the Republican party in 1963 and unsuccessful runs for governor of Arizona in 1964, 1974, 1978, and 1982.[19] In these four runs, Mecham gained the Republican nomination only for the 1978 election.[20] He developed a political doctrine supporting Jeffersonian democracy and advocating elimination of income taxes, return of federal lands to state control, removing federal involvement in education, and putting welfare under state control.[21] In 1982, Mecham wrote his first book, Come Back America, in which he discusses his earlier life and political views.[22]
In his fifth try for governor, Mecham ran as a political outsider using his standard platform advocating political reform and tax relief. Mecham's opponent in the Republican primary, Burton Barr, had served as the Majority Leader of the Arizona House of Representatives. Barr had the support of the state GOP leadership, including Barry Goldwater and John McCain. Mecham's core support came from fellow Mormons and the ultraconservative John Birch Society. A sizable portion of the state's retired population joined this core support with Mecham's promises of tax cuts. Because of Arizona's substantial transient population—only about half of the registered voters in 1986 were living in the state in 1980—Mecham's record of previous attempts to gain elected office was not widely known by the voters.[23][24] The primary election also saw the lowest voter turnout in nearly forty years due to unusual rain. Mecham overcame a fifteen-point deficit in the polls to win the Republican nomination with 54% of the vote.[25] Barr failed to spend much of his campaign war chest in the primary, ending his campaign with over a million dollars on hand.
The
Governorship
Mecham was inaugurated on January 5, 1987. Among his claimed successes were the opening of a trade office in
Martin Luther King Jr. Day
Mecham gained national attention several days after his inauguration by fulfilling a campaign promise to cancel a paid
In reaction to the cancellation, a protest march to the state capital was held on January 19, 1987, the day the holiday would have occurred. Conventions scheduled to be held in Arizona were canceled, and performer
After several months of criticism, Mecham declared a non-paid holiday on the third Sunday in January. Reaction in the state to the non-paid holiday was generally poor.[24][37]
Relations with legislature
Although both houses of the state legislature were controlled by fellow Republicans, Mecham was on poor terms with state lawmakers. He repeatedly asserted that he was under no obligation to cooperate with the legislature, that he was answerable only to the
Mecham's legislative initiatives suffered due to his poor relations with the legislature. His proposal to cut the state's sales tax by one percentage point—a key campaign promise—failed, largely because Mecham did not specify which programs would lose funding, thus preventing lawmakers from determining how their constituencies would be affected.[32][44] His proposed $2.3 billion budget, which cut education funding and froze state employee salaries, was increased by $200 million by the legislature.[32][42] Mecham lost further support by vetoing bills sponsored by key legislators, such as Senate Majority Leader Bob Usdane. "I'd say that the cooperation was not great", Usdane said, "but it's his prerogative". House Majority Leader Jim Ratliff, who had previously been a Mecham supporter, was a veto victim as well. "My only message to the governor is, if he thinks that people advising him to veto [my bill] can help him run the state of Arizona better than I can, then let them", he said in a statement.[45]
Other incidents
Besides the uproar caused by the MLK Day cancellation, claims of prejudice were made against Mecham after he defended the use of the racist word "
Mecham made an issue of his relationship with the press. Claiming that many of his problems were caused by media enemies he had made during previous runs for political office, the governor stated, "The
In 1987, a reporter for the Phoenix Gazette asked Mecham about the use of the word "pickaninny" in The Making of America, a book by Mecham's mentor W. Cleon Skousen. Mecham defended the use of the word, saying, "As I was a boy growing up, blacks themselves referred to their children as pickaninnies. That was never intended to be an ethnic slur to anybody."[46] This quote sparked national attention, in response to which Mecham again defended the use of the term "in a historical sense". Mecham's administration afterward became associated with the term "pickaninny".[50]
The same year,
Throughout his administration, Mecham expressed concern about possible eavesdropping on his private communications. A senior member of Mecham's staff broke his leg after falling through a false ceiling he had been crawling over, looking for covert listening devices. A private investigator was hired to sweep the governor's offices looking for bugs. The Governor was quoted as saying, "Whenever I'm in my house or my office, I always have a radio on. It keeps the lasers out." After this was reported, a political cartoon by Benson appeared in the Arizona Republic depicting the governor leaving his house outfitted for laser tag. When asked about this by reporters, Attorney General Bob Corbin replied in amusement, "We don't have any ray gun pointed at him."[54][34]
Economic impact
Publicity over Mecham's faux pas led to the state experiencing adverse economic effects. Tourism suffered when groups and conventions transferred their meetings out of Arizona. In November 1987, a Phoenix-area convention bureau claimed that Mecham's policies on Martin Luther King Day had caused the cancellation of 45 conventions worth over $25 million (~$57.5 million in 2023).[33] One of these cancellations was a National Basketball Association convention in Phoenix. In response to the cancellation, Mecham was quoted to say "Well, the N.B.A. I guess they forget how many white people they get coming to watch them play."[55]
Public perception of Mecham also slowed down economic development outside the tourism industry. Several corporations looking for locations to build new facilities, including US West and SEMATECH, expressed concern that the governor's statements might indicate problems in the local business climate. The executive director of the Phoenix Economic Growth Corp., Ioanna T. Morfessis, stated "When companies look at a state's environment they don't want anything that sounds to them like the state isn't working right." As the controversy surrounding the governor built even the business interests within the state abandoned support for him. As the chairman of the state chamber of commerce, William L. Raby, observed "We usually back Republicans, but he's a different kind of Republican."[32]
Removal efforts
While criticism plagued Governor Mecham for most of his time in office, it was not until he had been in office for six months that his nominal allies began to break ranks with him. In July 1987, the same month the recall effort officially began, a group of thirteen rank-and-file Republican members of the state legislature met to discuss the governor's image problems. Eleven members of the group, dubbed the Dirty Dozen by the local press, issued a joint statement critical of many of the governor's efforts.[56] Calls for the governor's resignation followed several months afterwards, with former U.S. Senator Barry Goldwater leading the way on October 9, 1987.[24] As Mecham's problems continued to build, other Arizona political leaders, including Congressman Jon Kyl and Senator John McCain, made appeals for Mecham to step down, but the governor steadfastly refused to leave office.[57]
Recall drive
The Mecham Watchdog Committee was organized in January 1987 and changed its name to the Mecham Recall Committee in May 1987. Pursuant to the Arizona Constitution, a recall petition may not be circulated against an official unless he has been in office for at least six months, except that a legislator may be recalled after he has been in office for five days.[58] These petitions needed a number of signatures equal to 25% of votes cast during the official's last election to cause a recall election. On July 6, 1987, the first day that petitions could be circulated, the recall committee began an effort to collect 350,000 signatures, significantly more than the 216,746 signatures required. The recall committee was led by Ed Buck, a registered Republican and gay businessman living in the Phoenix area. In response, Mecham claimed the recall supporters were "a band of homosexuals and dissident Democrats." Mecham supporters printed bumper stickers reading "Queer Ed Buck's Recall" after learning of the recall leader's sexual orientation. Mecham also mailed 25,000 letters during September to conservatives nationwide requesting that they move to Arizona and support him in case a recall election were held.[24][59]
The recall tended to gather signatures in bursts, with most signatures occurring shortly after some action of the governor offended a segment of the state's voters. Anger toward the governor grew to the point that on August 15, Mecham's appearance at
Impeachment
On October 21, 1987, the Arizona Republic ran a story claiming that Mecham had failed to report a $350,000 loan from local real-estate developer Barry Wolfson to Mecham's election campaign as required by campaign financing laws.[63] These claims were added to a grand jury investigation into allegations that Mecham had loaned $80,000 in public funds to help his auto dealership.[64] Upon learning of the alleged Wolfson loan, the Speaker of the state House of Representatives hired a special counsel to investigate the charges.[65] The third and final impeachment charge involved an alleged death threat to a government official by Horace Lee Watkins, a Mecham appointee, in November 1987. When Mecham was informed of the threat, it was reported that he instructed the head of the Arizona Department of Public Safety (DPS) not to provide information on the incident to the attorney general.[66]
On January 8, 1988, a grand jury issued indictments against Evan Mecham and Willard Mecham, the Governor's brother and campaign finance manager, charging three counts of perjury, two counts of fraud, and one count of failing to report a campaign contribution. Mecham and his brother faced 22 years in prison if convicted on all charges.[67][68]
The special counsel appointed by the Speaker of the House delivered his report to the House on January 15.[67] Based on this report, the House began hearings into possible impeachment proceedings on January 19.[69] These resulted in the passing of House Resolution 2002 on February 8 by a vote of 46 to 14.[70][71] Upon Mecham's impeachment by the House, his powers as governor were suspended and Mofford became acting governor. Arizona has no lieutenant governor, so the secretary of state stands first in the order of succession if he or she has been popularly elected.[71]
The Arizona State Senate convened as a court of impeachment on February 29.
Acquittal
The criminal case against Mecham and his brother went to trial on June 2. Attorneys who analyzed the proceedings later concluded that the Mechams' lawyers' most successful strategy was keeping their clients off the witness stand.[77] The jury found that prosecutors failed to prove that the Mechams knowingly erred on their campaign reports, and acquitted the brothers on all six felony charges on June 10.[78]
Later life and legacy
Following his removal from office and acquittal in his criminal trial, Mecham remained active in politics for several years. He served as an at-large delegate to the
Mecham spent several years attempting to start a new newspaper, but was unable to secure sufficient financial backing.[80] In 1999, Mecham wrote his third book, Wrongful Impeachment. Health issues, such as Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease, first reported in 2004, forced Mecham's withdrawal from the public arena and his commitment to the dementia unit of the Arizona State Veterans' Home in Phoenix.[81] Evan Mecham died on February 21, 2008[2][82] and is interred at the National Memorial Cemetery of Arizona. His wife, who died in 2012, was buried alongside him.[83]
The canceled Martin Luther King Day served as a point of controversy for years following Mecham's removal from office. In 1989, an Arizona law making a MLK holiday by canceling the state's Columbus Day holiday was challenged by two different groups, one opposed to the King holiday due to King's supposed communist ties and the other composed of Italian-Americans opposed to the removal of the Columbus Day holiday, and the new holiday was forced to undergo voter approval.[84] Neither of the two competing ballot initiatives during the 1990 election—one removing the Columbus Day holiday to make way for a new MLK day holiday, the other to add an extra paid holiday—managed to obtain a required majority even though 65% of voters supported at least one form of the holiday. In response to the voters' rejection of a King holiday, Arizona tourist officials estimated that concert and convention business worth $190 million were canceled and the National Football League moved Super Bowl XXVII, worth an estimated US$150 million from the state, to Pasadena, California. Another initiative in 1992 succeeded in creation of a statewide MLK day holiday (without removing Columbus Day).[85] Afterwards, the NFL awarded Super Bowl XXX to Arizona.
Arizona's election laws were affected by Mecham's legacy. In 1988, Arizona voters passed an initiative that amended the state constitution to require a
Mecham's former press secretary argued, in retrospect, that his overriding legacy was unfair:
The tragic fact ... is that Mecham will be remembered as an incompetent, bumbling bigot who got what he deserved. But ... he had some charming personal qualities. He had a genuine interest in helping the disadvantaged. He understood economic development far better than his predecessor, Bruce Babbitt, or his successor, Rose Mofford. He believed in economic equality for all races and minorities, arguing this would be necessary before political and social equality could be achieved. He was deeply troubled by rampant drug abuse. And, his pet project this year [1988] would have been a statewide campaign to help illiterate adults learn to read. This side of Mecham was lost in a fog of controversy that he helped create.[89]
Publications
- Come Back America. Glendale, Ariz.: MP Press. 1982. OCLC 9589917.
- Impeachment: The Arizona Conspiracy. Glendale, Ariz.: MP Press. 1988. OCLC 18761566.
- Wrongful Impeachment. Prime News Press. 1999. ISBN 978-1-929360-00-0.
Notes
- ^ ISSN 0040-781X.
- ^ a b Sullivan, Patricia (February 23, 2008). "Evan Mecham, 83; Was Removed as Arizona Governor". The Washington Post.
- ^ Biggers, Jeff (February 14, 2017). "Arizona Once Elected A Governor Like Trump... And Impeached Him". Huffington Post. Retrieved August 20, 2018.
- ^ Johnson (2002), p. 38.
- ^ Watkins (1990), p. 11.
- ^ a b Johnson (2002), p. 36.
- ^ Chu, Dan (August 24, 1987). "Arizona's Outspoken New Governor, Evan Mecham, Seems to Enjoy Diving Straight into Political Hot Water". People. Vol. 28, no. 8. Archived from the original on September 21, 2016.
- ^ Flannery, Pat; Crawford, Amanda J. (February 22, 2008). "Former Arizona Gov. Evan Mecham dies at 83". The Arizona Republic.
- ^ Watkins (1990), p. 25.
- ^ Watkins (1990), pp. 23–25.
- ^ a b c d Johnson (2002), p. 37.
- ^ Watkins (1990), p. 26.
- ^ Watkins (1990), pp. 27–28.
- ^ Jennings (1989), p. 169.
- ^ Johnson (2002), p. 37; Watkins (1990), pp. 25–26, 35, 354
- ^ Watkins (1990), pp. 31–32.
- ^ Herbers, John (July 14, 1967). "Arizona Publisher Says Papers In His State Dictate to Politicians". The New York Times. p. 41:2.
- ^ "The Voting for United States Senate". The New York Times. November 11, 1962.
- ^ Jennings (1989), pp. 169, 171.
- ^ Watkins (1990), pp. 28–36.
- ^ a b Dougherty, John (July 6, 1995). "None Dare Call it Reason: Arizona is a Hotbed of Constitutionalist Dissent, And Here are Four Who Fuel the Patriot Flame". Phoenix New Times. Archived from the original on November 2, 2004.
- ^ Johnson (2002), p. 39.
- ^ Watkins (1990), p. 41.
- ^ a b c d e f g Weisman, Alan (November 1, 1987). "Up in Arms in Arizona". The New York Times. p. VI 50:4.
- ^ Watkins (1990), p. 48; Johnson (2002), p. 40
- ^ Jennings (1989), p. 171.
- ^ Watkins (1990), p. 56.
- ISSN 0040-781X.
- ^ State of Arizona Official Canvass – General Election – November 4, 1986 (PDF). Arizona Secretary of State. Archived from the original (PDF) on November 2, 2013.
- ^ Tim Franklin, with contributions from Daniel Egler (February 24, 1987). "Thompson Backs 65 M.p.h. Rural Limit". Chicago Tribune.
Arizona Gov. Evan Mecham, a Republican and the sponsor of the governors`policy statement, called those federal sanctions an attempt to 'blackmail us into submission'. 'I don't find anyplace I go anyone really driving 55,' said Mecham, whose state includes vast, sparsely populated areas. 'I think it makes a mockery out of the national speed limit.'
- ^ Watkins (1990), pp. 114–115.
- ^ ISSN 0007-7135.
- ^ a b c d Hull, Jon D. (November 9, 1987). "Evan Mecham, Please Go Home". Time. Vol. 130. p. 61. Archived from the original on November 3, 2007.
- ^ ISSN 0041-5537.
- ^ Watkins (1990), pp. 62–63, 65.
- ^ Palmer, Robert (April 4, 1987). "U2 Starts National Tour on a Political Note". The New York Times.
- ^ Watkins (1990), pp. 68, 126.
- ^ ISSN 0363-1370. Archived from the original(PDF) on March 3, 2016.
- ^ Watkins (1990), p. 77.
- ^ Jennings (1989), p. 171; Watkins (1990), p. 115
- ^ Watkins (1990), pp. 158–159.
- ^ a b c d Lindsey, Robert (March 9, 1987). "A 'Hot' Week For Governor of Arizona". The New York Times. p. I 12:4.
- ^ Watkins (1990), pp. 166–167.
- ^ Watkins (1990), pp. 66–67.
- ^ Watkins (1990), pp. 120–121.
- ^ a b Watkins (1990), p. 72.
- ^ Watkins (1990), p. 106.
- ^ Watkins (1990), pp. 91–92.
- ^ Smith, Ken (August 17, 2012). "Arizona's governor vs. the press". Kensmith.us. Archived from the original on May 13, 2016.
- ^ Watkins (1990), pp. 72–73.
- ^ Watkins (1990), p. 145.
- ^ Trudeau, G. B. (September 7, 1987). "Doonesbury". The Washington Post. Retrieved September 1, 2021.
- ^ Bagley, Pat (January 24, 2019). "Cartoonist Pat Bagley lambasts Gannett for short-sighted and cruel staff cut". Association of American Editorial Cartoonists. Archived from the original on January 30, 2019.
- ^ Watkins (1990), pp. 270–271.
- ^ Johnson (2002), p. 41; Watkins (1990), p. 127
- ^ Watkins (1990), pp. 135–137.
- ^ Watkins (1990), p. 253.
- ^ Ariz. Const. Art. VIII, Part I, Sec. 5.
- ^ Watkins (1990), pp. 127–130, 159–160.
- ^ Watkins (1990), pp. 143–144.
- ^ Watkins (1990), pp. 194–195, 274.
- ^ Johnson (2002), p. 42.
- ^ Watkins (1990), p. 175.
- ^ Jennings (1989), p. 173; Watkins (1990), pp. 154–155
- ^ Watkins (1990), pp. 179–182.
- ^ Watkins (1990), pp. 199–200.
- ^ a b Watkins (1990), p. 238.
- ^ "Arizona:Indicting a Wild-Card Governor". Newsweek. Vol. 111. January 8, 1988. p. 31.
- ^ Jennings (1989), p. 173.
- ^ Watkins (1990), p. 301.
- ^ ISSN 0040-781X.
- ^ Watkins (1990), p. 320.
- S2CID 254346552.
- ^ Watkins (1990), pp. 346–347.
- ^ Watkins (1990), pp. 354, 356–357.
- ^ "Arizona's Supreme Court Blocks A Special Gubernatorial Election". The New York Times. April 13, 1988. p. A20.
- ^ "Defense Strategy, Lack of Evidence Led to Acquittal, Local Lawyers Say", Phoenix Gazette, June 17, 1988, p. A13.
- ^ Watkins (1990), p. 367.
- ^ "Mecham Wins Spot at G.O.P. Convention". The New York Times. May 15, 1988. p. A22.
- ^ Pasztor, David (December 15, 1993). "Ev's Latest Inkling Mecham Still Longs to be a Newspaper Tycoon". Phoenix New Times. Archived from the original on May 7, 2005.
- ^ "Ex-Arizona governor Evan Mecham shows symptoms of dementia". Associated Press. October 20, 2004. Archived from the original on October 26, 2004.
- ^ Flannery, Pat (February 22, 2008). "Former Arizona Gov. Evan Mecham has died". The Arizona Republic.
- ^ "Services for former Gov. Evan Mecham Saturday in Glendale". Arizona Daily Star. February 27, 2008. Archived from the original on January 18, 2013.
- ^ "Arizona Holiday for Dr. King May Face Ballot Test in 1990". The New York Times. September 26, 1989. p. A28.
- ^ Gross, Jane (January 17, 1993). "Arizona Hopes Holiday for King Will Mend Its Image; People are still embarrassed by a former governor". The New York Times. p. 16.
- ^ "State of Arizona Official Canvass – General Election" (PDF). Arizona Secretary of State. November 8, 1988. Archived from the original (PDF) on September 20, 2013.
- ^ "State of Arizona Official Canvass – General Election" (PDF). Arizona Secretary of State. November 6, 1990. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 14, 2009.
- ^ "State of Arizona Official Canvass – General Election" (PDF). Arizona Secretary of State. November 3, 1992. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 14, 2009.
- ^ Smith, KV. Mecham ignored advice, created own road to ruin. Mesa Tribune, May 15, 1988, p. B1
References
- Jennings, Marianne M. (1989). "Evan Mecham". In Myers, John L. (ed.). The Arizona governors, 1912–1990. Phoenix: Heritage Publishers. pp. 168–174. ISBN 0-929690-05-2.
- Johnson, James W. (2002). Arizona Politicians: The Noble and the Notorious. illustrations by David 'Fitz' Fitzsimmons. University of Arizona Press. ISBN 0-8165-2203-0.
- Watkins, Ronald J. (1990). High Crimes and Misdemeanors: The Term and Trials of Former Governor Evan Mecham. New York: William Morrow & Co. ISBN 978-0-688-09051-7.
Further reading
- Bellus, Ronald J. (1988). Mecham: Silence Cannot Be Misquoted. Phoenix: Laurent's Printing & Services. ISBN 978-0-9295-7200-0.
- "'Doonesbury' in Arizona". Newsweek. Vol. 110. September 14, 1987. p. 41.
- “Arizona rejects 'Marx Brothers' rule”, The Times, October 22, 1987.
- Peter Goudinoff & Sheila Tobias (October 26, 1987). "Arizona Airhead". The New Republic. Vol. 197. pp. 15–16.
- James N. Baker, Randy Collier (March 14, 1988). "Evan Mecham's Phoenix Follies". Newsweek. Vol. 111. p. 23.
- Alleen Pace Nilsen (May 1988). "What did Evan Mecham ask the Pope? – the jokes that impeached a governor". Washington Monthly. Vol. 20. p. 21. Archived from the original on November 3, 2007.
- Kenneth V. Smith (May 1989). "The resurrection of Evan Mecham". National Review. Vol. 41. pp. 42–43. Archived from the original on July 8, 2009.
- Kiser, Jim (October 24, 2004). "Mecham lesson: Beware of overconfident politicians". Arizona Daily Star. Archived from the original on September 29, 2007.
- Garcia, Joseph (October 25, 2004). "Let me tell you why I've always been fond of Evan Mecham". Tucson Citizen. Archived from the original on June 27, 2006.
External links
- Governor Evan Mecham from Arizona History Reference Guides
- Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday from Arizona State Library, Archives and Public Records.
- Materials regarding the impeachment of Governor Evan Mecham Ken Smith
- Appearances on C-SPAN