News

Quail Creek Republicans Meet with AZ LD19
Representative Gail Griffin

 
Pat Colburn

The Quail Creek Republican Club met on Jan 17.  There was electricity in the air as everyone was excited for the Inauguration of President Donald J Trump on Jan 20 and to hear from State Representative Gail Griffin, reelected LD 19 State Representative.

State Representative Gail Griffin represents Legislative District 19 in the Arizona House of Representatives and was reelected in the 2024 General Election.   District 19 includes portions of 5 counties: Cochise, Graham, Greenlee, Pima, and Santa Cruz.

Gail Griffin is currently serving as a member of the House of Representatives and serves as the Chairman of the Natural Resources, Energy, and Water Committee, and the Vice Chairman of the Rules Committee. She is also a member of the Land, Agriculture, and Rural Affairs Committee and the Governor’s Water Council. She serves as Co-Chairman on the Ad Hoc Study Committees on Water Security, and Air Quality and Energy.  Gail Griffin served in the Arizona State Senate and has been involved in issues at the local, state, and federal level for many years.

Gail gave the Oath of Office to the 2025 QCRC Board members; Pat Colburn, Doug Shumway, Steve Lewis, Lin Sanford, Jim Bremer, Steve Hammond and Steve Sanford.  

Rep Griffin reviewed the results of the state election which provided a Republican majority in both the Senate (17) and the House (33).  She gave a short description of   her committee and legislative responsibilities, which are numerous. She described the results of a survey of Arizona voters which stated that high taxation, school improvement, security concerns, election security, big government and wise fiscal policies were the greatest concerns.

Rep Griffin iterated the Republican legislative plan for 2025-2026 which includes spending money wisely and efficiently, full transparency, the importance of water issues, passing good legislation and blocking bad legislation.  There are also plans to introduce a comprehensive election integrity bill based upon the state of Florida example.  In her Legislative Update, Rep Griffin provided attendees the Official Majority Plan of Preserve the American Dream, Promote Public Safety and Protect Individual Rights & Liberties.  Additional priorities are Keep Government Out of Rural Arizona, Make Homebuilding Affordable Again and Prioritize Reliable and Affordable Power.

She congratulated the efforts of our Precinct #84 in the successful election monitoring in November through precinct committee work and poll watching.  Gail would like to see that duplicated throughout the Legislative District 19.

She then entertained questions from the attendees.

President Pat Colburn then reviewed the Club’s efforts to support 2025 candidates for State and Local elections and emphasized the meeting dates for the rest of the year.    The Quail Creek Republican Club has an educational, informative, exciting and fun year planned for 2025.  Next month we will introduce the ever-popular Sheriff Mark Dannels of Cochise County as our guest speaker.  We anticipate that Congressman Juan Ciscomani will attend one of our spring meetings. A proposed trip to Douglas later in the year was presented along with a BBQ social.

You can join the club for the first time or renew your membership for 2025 by visiting the club’s website at www.quailcreekrepublicans.com


Quail Creek Republicans Celebrate Christmas
Elect New Officers

 

 Members of the Quail Creek Republican Club (QCRC) gathered on Wednesday, December 11, 2024 in the Crystal Ballroom. We celebrated Christmas, the November election results, and elected new officers for 2025 at the annual meeting. Members feasted on an array of appetizers prepared by the Quail Creek staff, and enjoyed holiday music performed by Tom Smith.  A few even demonstrated their skills on the dance floor. During the annual meeting portion of the holiday festivities, we elected the new QCRC board of directors for 2025. President Pat Colburn will chair the club for another year. Secretary Doug Shumway, Treasurer Steve Lewis, and Membership Chair Lin Sanford will continue in their responsibilities for 2025. New members elected to the board are Steve Hammond as Program Chair and Jim Bremer and Steve Sanford as Members at Large. Several members also stepped to assist the new board. Roz and Robin Barnes will offer their skills in design of several flyers throughout the year, and Nancy Hatch will assist Program Chair Steve Hammond by coordinating events. Board members retiring at year-end 2024 are Rich Ulery, Bill Price, DeeDee Stephens, Dana Alford and John Koster. Vacancies remain for two positions on the board, so if you are looking for a way to further Republican principles and helping with board responsibilities (writing newsletter articles, keeping the club abreast of legislative activities at the state and national level, etc.), please contact Pat Colburn.
 
The QCRC has an exciting year planned in 2025. Much will be happening with Republican control of the White House, U.S. Senate, and House of Representatives. Republicans also control higher majorities in the Arizona legislature as a result of the November election, so much will be happening at the state level as well. Our Arizona House member, Gail Griffin, will be the featured speaker at the first QCRC meeting in 2025 on Friday, January 17 beginning at 9:00 AM in the Ocotillo Room at the Kino Conference Center. She will update us on legislative priorities in Arizona. Representative Griffin will also install the new QCRC Board of Directors at this meeting.
 
You won’t want to miss any of the educational, informative meetings or any events planned in 2025. Renew your membership for 2025 or sign up as a new member. All information is available on the Quail Creek Republican Club website at www.quailcreekrepublicans.com.

Rich Ulery

 

Quail Creek Republicans filled the Ocotillo and Mesquite rooms on Friday, November 15 to celebrate the incredibly successful election results nationally and in Arizona and hear from Bruce Ash, an influential Republican known throughout the state of Arizona.
 
QCRC President Pat Colburn introduced Bruce Ash as the featured speaker. Bruce is the current CEO of the Paul Ash Management Company in Tucson, Arizona. He has relaunched Inside Track radio program to deliver real news, straight talk and great guests and callers to KVOI radio listeners in southern Arizona. Bruce has a long affiliation with the Arizona Republican Party and the Republican National Committee. He served as Arizona’s state national committeeman to the Republican National Committee (RNC) from 2007 to 2020
.

Bruce summarized the results of the election, confirming that Republicans have taken the presidency and majority control of both the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives. Our own re-elected member of the House, Juan Ciscomani, was the 218th  member giving the GOP the majority. The Republican Party also expanded its control of both the Arizona House of Representatives and Senate. The Arizona House majority increased from a 31-29 GOP advantage to a 33-27 majority and the Senate majority increased from a 16-14 GOP advantage to a 17-13 majority. Our two members of the Arizona House, Gail Griffin and Lupe Diaz won re-election as did Senator David Gowan. Our QCRC club members had a significant role in helping our candidates win!
 
Bruce also discussed each of the cabinet nominees that President-elect Donald Trump has named thus far to serve in his administration beginning on inauguration day, January 20, 2025.
 
The Quail Creek Republican Club has an exciting, educational, and fun year planned in 2025. You won’t want to miss a single meeting or event! We expect all three of our legislative members and Congressman Ciscomani to address our club at some time during the year. You can join the club for the first time or renew your membership for 2025 by visiting the club website atwww.quailcreekrepublicans.com.



State and County candidates take questions at the QCRC BBQ on Friday, October 18. L t r:  Candidate for Pima County Treasurer, Chris Ackerly, Candidate for Board of Supervisors, District 2, John Backer, Candidate for Pima County Sheriff, Heather Lappin, Candidate for State Senator, David Gowan, Candidate for State Representative Gail Griffin, Candidate for State Representative Lupe Diaz.

 

Attendees at the QCRC BBQ enjoy a dinner of pork ribs, chicken and sides



 Friday, September 20 was education day at the Quail Creek Republican Club monthly meeting. April Smith, Field Director of the Arizona Free Enterprise Club discussed the numerous ballot propositions that will appear on the 2024 General Election Ballot before a packed house at the Kino Conference Center. It will be a two page ballot this year as, in addition to all the candidate races, 19 initiatives will appear on the ballot. April reviewed each of the 13 statewide initiatives. There are also 6 local initiatives from the Town of Sahuarita and a tax override proposition for the Continental Elementary School District.


Also in attendance at the meeting were four leaders from the Continental Elementary School District, Supt. Roxanna Rico, Principal Deanna Cuevas, Director of Student Services Steve Lathan and IT Director Joe Ferguson. Ms. Rico informed the attendees of Continental’s plan to place a renewal of the tax override on the November ballot.