Why an enemy of Arizona’s immigration law backed Mitt Romney
Ariz. State Sen. Jerry Lewis (R), who defeated Russell Pearce in a symbolic recall election, endorsed Romney despite opposing views on immigration. (Facebook)
By URIEL J. GARCIA
Channel: Immigration, Politics
PHOENIX – State Sen. Jerry Lewis (R) was able to unseat one of the most powerful politicians in Arizona, former state Senate President Russell Pearce, in a November recall election after campaigning on the fact he would bring a cool head to the fiery debate over Arizona’s immigration crackdown law.
But Lewis’ endorsement of Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney has some of his supporters upset because of the candidate’s views on immigration. Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach, who is known as an author of Arizona’s and Alabama’s tough immigration laws, advises Romney on immigration policy. Pearce was the main sponsor of the Arizona law.
“We’re really disappointed in Jerry Lewis,” said DeeDee Blase, founder of the Arizona-based Tequila Party, which rallies Latinos to vote in elections largely in favor of pro-immigration reform candidates.
“I don’t understand why [Lewis] would endorse Romney because he has the same views as Pearce if not worse,” added Blase, referring to the main sponsor of Arizona’s immigration law and Lewis’ recall-election opponent, former Sen. Russell Pearce.
On the campaign trail, Romney has taken a hard-line position on immigration in order to satisfy conservative primary voters. But many argue that has come at the cost of alienating Latino voters who favor a more accomodating approach to immigration.
“He’s got to focus on primary voters here for another few weeks, but I know he is sensitive to it,” Republican strategist Charlie Black, a Romney backer, told Politico.
Romney has vowed to veto a the DREAM Act if he is elected and has said that the underpinning of his immigration strategy is to enact tough enforcement measures, such as mandatory E-Verify for employers, that would encourage undocumented immigrants to “self-deport.” During a debate Wednesday night in Mesa, Ariz., he encouraged the Obama administration to drop its lawsuit against Arizona’s SB 1070 immigration law.
In response, Lewis said he does not agree with Romney’s immigration views and was not aware that Kobach backed the candidate when he made his endorsement on Feb. 2. Kobach endorsed Romney on Jan. 11.
“I hate the fact [and] I’m disappointed that Kobach is somehow affiliated [with Romney’s campaign],” Lewis said.
Romney’s campaign did not immediately respond to emails seeking comment on Lewis’ remarks. But on the campaign website there is a statement about the endorsements.
“I am heartened by the support of so many of Arizona’s conservative leaders,” Romney said in a statement. “With the help of these leaders, I look forward to bringing this [conservative] message to Arizona.”
Randy Parraz, a co-founder of Citizens for a Better Arizona, the organization that started the petition drive to force Pearce’s recall, said that Lewis’ choice for president was “expected.”
“I’m not surprised, because they share a lot of [similarities],” Parraz said referring to Romney and Lewis’ involvement in the Mormon Church. “But I’m not really concerned what he [Lewis] does in the presidential race, I’m concerned what he does at the [Arizona] Capitol.”
Parraz also said that as far as he knows, Lewis is not introducing anti-immigration legislation. On the contrary, Lewis is the only Republican lawmaker to sign the Arizona Accord, a five-point declaration intended to guide the state’s immigration debate into a more civil tone in the Legislature.
Lewis said that he threw his support behind Romney because of his experience as a private business leader, which he says could fix the nation’s economic woes. He added that he hopes Romney will moderate his views on illegal immigration.
“Romney is probably going to look to the experience he has as a leader and bring both sides together and look at this [immigration] issue balanced rather than take the most extreme view,” Lewis said.
But with the Arizona primary on the horizon next week, Romney has shown no sign of letting up.
During the CNN-sponsored debate in Mesa, Romney described Arizona’s employer-sanctions law, which requires all employers to confirm that new hires are authorized to work through E-Verify and punishes those who knowingly hire undocumented immigrants, as a “model” for the nation.
