Local candidates face off in primary Tuesday [The Sun, Yuma, Ariz.]

Aug. 19--This is the final story in a series looking at the candidates for the upcoming primary, which will be held Tuesday. The following are the candidates for the Yuma County race. Please note that all county residents will vote for the Clerk of Superior Court. Other positions will depend on where a resident lives. To find out your polling place and precinct, call the Yuma County Election Department at 928-373-1014 or the Yuma County Recorder's Office at 928-373-6034.

CLERK OF SUPERIOR COURT:

Democrat:

Name: Jeffrey Mangis

Website: http://yumacountyaz.gov/index.aspx?page=126

Age: 48

Current occupation: Clerk of the Superior Court, Yuma County

Education: Arizona Western College and the University of Arizona Extended Education Paralegal program

Top priority: Mangis said he believes the clerk's most important duty is ensuring that everyone has access to the courts. The clerk works with nearly everyone involved in a case. Litigants, victims, attorneys, jurors, concerned parties -- the office has contact with all of these people. It is important to remember, they are people, not just a "party" to a case.

Republican:

Name: Lynn Fazz

Age: did not answer

Current occupation: Realtor

Education: Four years at Virginia Tech

Top priority: Fazz said her top priority, having worked in local government for 24 years, and the clerk's office for more than five years, will be to provide excellent customer service and ease of accessibility to those services (both to internal and to external customers); fiscal efficiency and accountability; and above all maturity and leadership to the employees and to the citizens of Yuma County.

JUSTICE OF THE PEACE #1:

Democrat

Name: Marci Rios

E-mail: [email protected]

Age: 59

Current occupation: Insurance Agent with New York Life Insurance Company

Education: Associate degree

Top priority: "Making sensitive decisions that will impact human beings in their daily lives' of the residents of this great community in which we reside," Rios said.

Republican:

Name: Gregory Stewart

Website: www.keepjudgestewart.com

Age: 45

Current occupation: Justice of the Peace, Precinct #1

Education: Graduate, Judicial College of Arizona Supreme Court and a B.S. in social and behavioral sciences from ASU and a graduate of the Supervisor's and Manager's Academy.

Top priority: "My priority is to continue my commitment to bring long-term integrity, stability and professionalism to Justice Court, Precinct # 1. To continue to work hard every day for the taxpayers and victims of our community, instilling public trust in the courts, improving customer service at all levels of our operation, increasing efficiency and reducing unnecessary spending, and holding offenders accountable to their victims, the community and the orders of the court," Stewart said.

JUSTICE OF THE PEACE #2:

Democrat:

Name: Jorge Lozano

E-mail: [email protected]

Age: 34

Current occupation: Justice of the Peace Precinct 2 and attorney

Education: J.D. from ASU College of Law and B.S. in sociology and criminology from University of Michigan

Top priority: Lozano said his top priority is to continue to deliver excellent court services with the diminished level of funding that all government offices are experiencing.

Name: Terry Hollis

Age: 47

Current occupation: Retired Somerton police chief

Education: Arizona Police Officer Academy Graduate, FBI National Academy Session #199 Graduate

Top priority: "My top priorities are to bring honor and respect to the Justice of the Peace, Precinct #2 courtroom. To pledge not to follow the footsteps created by my opponent that are questionable. I will ensure that everyone is treated fairly and are educated regarding their rights. I will bring justice education to the youth of Precinct #2 through a program where youth will learn the judicial system first-hand because the youth of today are our leaders of tomorrow," Hollis said.

JUSTICE OF THE PEACE #3:

Democrat:

Name: Cora Romine

Age: 49

Current occupation: Wellton Justice of the Peace, Third Precinct

Education: Antelope Union High School

Top priority: Romine said her top priority is to ensure that all citizens of her precinct are treated with fairness and receive justice to the best of her abilities.

Republican:

Name: M. "Russ" Jones

E-mail: [email protected] or [email protected]

Age: 55

Current occupation: retired from the Department of Public Safety

Education: Antelope Union High School and the Arizona Law Enforcement Training Academy

Top priority: Jones said he will be tough on law breakers, especially those involved in driving under the influence and serious drug cases while also doing what he can to help these people get their life back on track. "I will focus on true juvenile diversion programs that teach our youth while also keeping them out of the criminal system. While following the letter of the law it is important to remember that each person is an individual and each case should be heard on its own merit," he said.

CONSTABLE -- JP #1:

Democrat:

Name: Ismael "Ish" Castro, Jr.

Age: did not answer

Current occupation: retired as real property agent for the city of Yuma, Engineering Division

Education: B.S. in Business Administration from NAU

Top priority: Castro said his top priority is to strive for quality process service of court orders and all other duties of the constable's office and to assure that maximum efficiency of the office be a constant objective in maintaining the confidence of its citizens and, as a public servant, perform all duties with compassion, dignity and respect for all.

Republican:

Name: John Nozar

Website: http://www.co.yuma.az.us or [email protected]

Age: 48

Current occupation: Constable, Yuma County Precinct 1

Education: Attended Francis Marion College and graduated from the Arizona Law Enforcement Officer Advisory Council Academy

Top priority: Nozar said his position is one of public trust and confidence and must be delicately handled using the extensive training and experience he has gained over the past 25 years in local law enforcement. Nozar also said he is dedicated to continuing his service to the community and his priority is seeing that all the citizens receive the respect and consideration they deserve.

CONSTABLE -- JP #2:

Democrat:

Name: Maria Sanchez-Raymond

No information available.

Name: Braulio Alvarez

Age: 32

Current occupation: Clerk/judicial assistant with the city of Somerton Municipal Court

Education: Kofa High School and a culinary arts degree at Scottsdale Culinary Institute

Top priority: Alvarez said he's been very privileged to be under the tutoring of one of the most respected judges in this county, Manuel Figueroa, and he's also learned the importance of our judicial process and how that process continues outside the courtroom doors. He said the vital role the constables office plays into continuing that fair and impartial process.

CONSTABLE -- JP #3:

Republican:

Name: Matt Brooks

Website: www.brooksinvestigations.net

Age: 52

Current occupation: Private Investigator/ Owner Brooks Consulting, Training and Investigations LLC.

Education: B.S. in Law Enforcement from the UofA

Top priority: Brooks said his top priority for the Constable position in Precinct 3 is to continue to establish the office as a professional and credible Constables Office serving eastern Yuma County.

JUDGE OF SUPERIOR COURT -- DIVISION 2:

Republican:

Name: John Paul Plante

Current occupation: Judge of Superior Court, Division 2

Top priority: Plante, a Yuma resident since 1978, practiced law for 22 years prior to becoming a judge. He was appointed as a full time judge pro tempore by Judge Tom C. Cole in July 1999 and served in that position until his election as a Superior Court judge in 2006.

JUDGE OF SUPERIOR COURT -- DIVISION 3:

Democrat:

Name: Larry C. Kenworthy

Current occupation: Judge of Superior Court, Division 3

Education: A bachelor's degree in 1978 and a law degree in 1981, both from the University of Arizona.

Top priority: Kenworthy was in private practice litigating mostly civil cases until 1997, when he returned to Arizona and began work at the Yuma County Public Defender's Office. After a brief period there, he returned to private practice where he litigated civil cases, but also served as the prosecutor for the cities of Somerton and San Luis. In 2002, he was appointed as a judge pro tempore for Yuma Municipal Court and served in that capacity until being elected to the bench with the Superior Court in 2007. Larry presides primarily over civil and criminal cases.

JUDGE OF SUPERIOR COURT -- DIVISION 5:

Republican:

Name: John Nelson

Website: none

Age: 61

Current occupation: Superior Court Judge, at present presiding juvenile court judge

Education: B.A. from BYU and a J.D. from the University of Tennessee

Top priority: did not list

Stephanie A. Wilken can be reached at [email protected] or 539-6857.

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