Southwest Rises as New Political Battleground

[Lexingtonian]

December 7, 2003

Southwest Rises as New Political Battleground
The region's early nominating contests and changing demographics put Arizona and New Mexico on Democrats' radar for the presidency.

By John M. Glionna, Times Staff Writer

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — Not far from the boulevard named for Republican icon Barry Goldwater, state Democrats have staked new turf, opening their first storefront office in this well-moneyed town where they're outnumbered among voters nearly 3 to 1.

For Democrats, the humble office with donated furniture is a base camp for what they hope is a remaking of the state's political future. Rallying behind the first Democratic governor in Arizona since 1982 and other indications of party growth, they're crowding fundraisers and staging rallies in an effort to remake the political landscape in one of the nation's fastest-growing, most ethnically diverse states.

"It's all about resuscitating a Democratic Party that in Arizona has long been given up for dead," said Scottsdale party organizer Laura Roskind.

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Democratic Gov. Janet Napolitano, elected last year, says her party continues to make strides in conservative Arizona — the only state to vote Republican in presidential elections every year between 1952 and 1992. (President Clinton broke the streak, carrying the state by a small margin in 1996.)
"This is a state in transition; you can just smell the energy here," Napolitano said, adding that the state party's $7-million political war chest is eight times larger than it was a few years ago.

http://www.latimes.com/news/politics/la-na-arizona7dec07,1,5010808.story?coll=la-home-headlines

There's no mention here of Nevada (aka Las Vegas), but the article is an indication that things are happening in Arizona that will matter next year.