ARIZONA

ARIZONA

Population (1994): 4,075,000 (up 11.2% from 1990); 1.6% of U.S. total

Voting-age population: 2,923,000; 1994 turnout, 37%

Median age: 32.2 years

Median household income: $31,293 ($971 below U.S. median)

Unemployment: 4.9% (0.7% below U.S. average, March 1996)

Last presidential election: Clinton (D): 37% Bush (R): 38% Perot (I): 24%

Congressional delegation: One Democrat, seven Republicans

Arizona is the third fastest-growing state in the nation, with a Latino population that has nearly doubled and an economy--lightly regulated--that seems to be keeping pace. But growth has brought increased crime, especially in urban areas, along with the question of how to allocate water cost efficiently. One thing that hasn't changed: conservative politics. The home of Barry Goldwater, the G.O.P.'s 1964 presidential candidate, Arizona gave Ross Perot a quarter of its vote in 1992 and is still the only state in the Union to have voted Republican in every presidential election since 1948.

JOHN COX (D) District 1 (Southeastern Phoenix--Tempe; Mesa)

BORN: Dec. 6, 1932, Boise, Idaho EDUCATION: U of Southern California, B.A., 1961; U of Utah, M.S.W., 1964; Arizona State U, C.P.M, 1979. FAMILY: Wife, Jennie RELIGION: Protestant MILITARY: Army, 1950-53, 1954-57 OCCUPATION: Management consultant; professor POLITICAL CAREER: Maricopa County charter government commissioner, 1995-96 ADDRESS: 1525 N. Central, Phoenix 85004. Tel.: 602-254-8225

Cox entered the primary as an unopposed write-in candidate and earned enough votes--1,942--to qualify for the general-election ballot. He believes Social Security is a safety net that distinguishes the U.S. from the third world and says it shouldn't be sacrificed to balance the budget or give tax cuts to the rich.

THE ISSUES Budget NO Medicare NO Defense NO Abortion NO Guns YES Gays YES Bosnia NO NAFTA NO Welfare NO Medical Leave YES (For an explanation of these issues, see the front of this guide.)

QUOTE OF NOTE: "This isn't a token campaign. [Matt Salmon] isn't going to think it's token. He will have serious opposition."

MATT SALMON (R) District 1

BORN: Jan. 21, 1958, Salt Lake City, Utah EDUCATION: Arizona State U, B.A., 1981; Brigham Young U, M.A., 1986 FAMILY: Wife, Nancy; four children RELIGION: Mormon MILITARY: None OCCUPATION: Communications-company executive POLITICAL CAREER: Arizona Senate 1991-94; U.S. House, 1994- ADDRESS: P.O. Box 24890, Tempe 85285. Tel.: 602-345-4433

One of the Young Turks of the Republican Revolution, Salmon, in his first term, sponsored bills to pay the legal expenses of the seven travel-office employees fired by the White House in 1993, to give the families of murder victims the option of attending the murderer's execution and to prohibit executive-branch employees from accepting gifts.

THE ISSUES

Budget YES Medicare YES Defense NO Abortion YES Guns NR Gays NR Bosnia YES NAFTA NR Welfare YES Medical Leave NR (For an explanation of these issues, see the front of this guide.)

QUOTE OF NOTE: "[L]ocal governments do a much more effective job [at apprehending and detaining illegal aliens]. We would rather have them than those that brought us Ruby Ridge and Waco handling these types of affairs."

JIM BUSTER (R) District 2 (Southwestern Tucson; southern Phoenix; Yuma)

BORN: May 14, 1955, San Francisco EDUCATION: U of Arizona, B.A., 1978 FAMILY: Wife, Marilyn; two children RELIGION: Christian MILITARY: None OCCUPATION: Medical-supply-company owner POLITICAL CAREER: Mayor of Yuma, 1986-90; Arizona Senate, 1990- ADDRESS: 1249 South 40th Drive, Yuma 85364. Tel.: 602-912-4864

Buster has served in the state Senate since 1991, where he chairs the Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environmental Committee. He has made a name for himself by energetically advocating tax cuts and the elimination of state property taxes, and recently earned a 100% rating from the National Federation of Independent Businessmen. He may have a difficult time defeating Ed Pastor, who won 62% of the vote in 1994 in this historically Democratic district.

THE ISSUES Budget YES Medicare YES Defense YES Abortion YES Guns NO Gays YES Bosnia YES NAFTA YES Welfare YES Medical Leave NO (For an explanation of these issues, see the front of this guide.)

QUOTE OF NOTE: "Many candidates talk about change, but over the last 10 years I have been working to make it happen."

ED PASTOR (D) District 2

BORN: June 28, 1943, Claypool EDUCATION: Arizona State U, B.S., 1966, J.D., 1974 FAMILY: Wife, Verma; two children RELIGION: Roman Catholic MILITARY: None OCCUPATION: Teacher; gubernatorial aide; public policy consultant POLITICAL CAREER: Maricopa County board of supervisors, 1977-90; U.S. House, 1990- ADDRESS: 2505 North Central Avenue, Suite 108, Phoenix 85003. Tel.: 602-528-3804

Pastor has represented the Second since 1991, when he won a special election to fill the seat of retiring Democrat Morris Udall. As chair of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, he has fought the elimination of bilingual ballots and a proposal to declare English the official U.S. language. A former teacher, Pastor also worked to increase funding for Head Start and student loans and is a favorite in this heavily Hispanic--and Democratic--district.

THE ISSUES

Budget NO Medicare NO Defense YES Abortion NO Guns YES Gays NO Bosnia NO NAFTA YES Welfare NO Medical Leave YES (For an explanation of these issues, see the front of this guide.)

QUOTE OF NOTE: "We should be seeking ways to eliminate barriers to voting rather than adding to them [by eliminating bilingual ballots]."

ALEXANDER SCHNEIDER (D) District 3 (North and West--Glendale; part of Phoenix; Hopi reservation)

BORN: Feb. 1, 1937, Baltimore, Md. EDUCATION: Prince George's Community College, part-time, 1981-94 FAMILY: Wife, Maureen; three children RELIGION: Roman Catholic MILITARY: Air Force, 1956-59 OCCUPATION: Postal worker; bailiff; union official POLITICAL CAREER: None ADDRESS: 2736 Arcadia Drive, Unit B, Lake Havasu City 86404. Tel.: 520-680-1167

"Big Al" Schneider earned his nickname as a 17-year-old Golden Gloves boxer with a big heart--though he says his body is catching up now. He also says 20-year incumbent Bob Stump has lost touch with the district--Schneider says he'll solve that "problem" by beating Stump and then serving only two terms. Schneider promises to fight cuts in Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid, but is facing an uphill battle to defeat Stump, who won by 40-points in 1994.

THE ISSUES

Budget NO Medicare NO Defense YES Abortion NO Guns YES Gays YES Bosnia NO NAFTA NO Welfare NO Medical Leave YES (For an explanation of these issues, see the front of this guide.)

QUOTE OF NOTE: "Even if I make it to Washington and come back, I'm still 'Big Al.'"

BOB STUMP (R) District 3

BORN: April 4, 1927, Phoenix EDUCATION: Arizona State U, B.S., 1951 FAMILY: Divorced; three children RELIGION: Seventh-day Adventist MILITARY: Navy, 1943-46 OCCUPATION: Cotton farmer POLITICAL CAREER: Arizona House, 1959-67; Arizona Senate, 1967-76; U.S. House, 1976- ADDRESS: P.O. Box F, Tolleson 85353. Tel.: 602-266-4333

Proving that the Third District elects the person, not the party, Stump won his seat as a Democrat in 1976, switched parties in 1981, and has served as a Republican for the past 15 years. As chair of the Veteran's Affairs Committee, he sponsored a bill this year to expand access to veteran health care and let VA hospitals provide higher levels of outpatient care. Stump advocates a budget that cuts both taxes and the deficit, calling the idea that this can't be done a "liberal" notion.

THE ISSUES

Budget YES Medicare YES Defense NO Abortion YES Guns NO Gays YES Bosnia YES NAFTA YES Welfare YES Medical Leave NO (For an explanation of these issues, see the front of this guide.)

QUOTE OF NOTE: "Current eligibility requirements mandate expensive and often unnecessary inpatient care to eligible veterans. [The Veterans' Health Care Eligibility Reform Act] is a positive step on the path to comprehensive reform."

MARIA MILTON (D) District 4 (Northern Phoenix; Scottsdale)

BORN: June 8, 1952, Nogales EDUCATION: Northern Arizona U, 1970-72 FAMILY: Husband, Bruce; four children RELIGION: Roman Catholic MILITARY: None OCCUPATION: Homemaker POLITICAL CAREER: None ADDRESS: P.O. Box 12339-313, Scottsdale 85267. Tel.: 602-992-3276

Milton believes the Republicans are planning to cut Medicare and Social Security with "Nazi-style economic policies" that will kill millions of people. She also says efforts to privatize prisons are the first step to concentration camps, not flinching from concluding that such proposals are Hitlerian plots by the G.O.P. Her own platform includes creating a Third National Bank and building a "Rocky Mountain Trench" to carry water from Alaska to the Colorado River.

THE ISSUES

Budget NO Medicare NO Defense NO Abortion YES Guns NO Gays NO Bosnia NO NAFTA NO Welfare NO Medical Leave YES (For an explanation of these issues, see the front of this guide.)

Quote of Note: "I am going to mobilize all of the voters and citizens of this district, Republican and Democrat, for a great crusade to destroy [the] Contract on Americans."

JOHN SHADEGG (R) District 4

BORN: Oct. 22, 1949, Phoenix EDUCATION: U of Arizona, B.A., 1972, J.D., 1975 FAMILY: Wife, Shirley; two children RELIGION: Episcopalian MILITARY: Air National Guard, 1969-75 OCCUPATION: Lawyer POLITICAL CAREER: U.S. House 1994- ADDRESS: P.O. Box 45444, Phoenix 85064. Tel.: 602-235-9704

Shadegg, who was part of the 1994 Republican revolution, had a name familiar in G.O.P. politics even before he entered Congress: his father was a campaign strategist and speechwriter for Barry Goldwater. The junior Shadegg now sits on the powerful Budget Committee, is a prominent spokesman for tax cuts, and should have an edge against opponent Maria Milton in this conservative district that George Bush carried by 12 points in 1992.

THE ISSUES

Budget YES Medicare YES Defense YES Abortion YES Guns NR Gays NR Bosnia YES NAFTA NR Welfare YES Medical Leave NR (For an explanation of these issues, see the front of this guide.)

QUOTE OF NOTE: "Critics...want you to believe that the Republican plan to strengthen Medicare is extreme. The truth is that to ignore the problem now and face potentially devastating circumstances in a few short years, is extreme."

JIM KOLBE (R) District 5 (Southeast--Tucson)

BORN: June 28, 1942, Evanston, Ill. EDUCATION: Northwestern U, B.A., 1965; Stanford U, M.B.A., 1967 FAMILY: Divorced RELIGION: Methodist MILITARY: Navy, 1968-69 OCCUPATION: Real estate consultant POLITICAL CAREER: Arizona Senate, 1977-83; U.S. House, 1984- ADDRESS: 3955 East Speedway, Tucson 85716. Tel.: 520-325-1996

Kolbe, a six-term incumbent and former page for Barry Goldwater, now sits on the Appropriations and Budget Committees. He is a moderate, known for promoting free trade and budget cuts, and was a leader in the movement to pass NAFTA and GATT. He voted for the balanced-budget amendment and the line-item veto. Having won by 39 points in 1994, he's a favorite in this race.

THE ISSUES

Budget YES Medicare YES Defense YES Abortion NO Guns NO Gays NO Bosnia NO NAFTA YES Welfare YES Medical Leave NO (For an explanation of these issues, see the front of this guide.)

QUOTE OF NOTE: "For years, Head Start has enjoyed strong bipartisan support, and in these austere budgetary times, that support has continued. I urge my colleagues to continue to provide adequate funding."

MORT NELSON (D) District 5

BORN: April 14, 1922, New York City EDUCATION: Pennsylvania State U, D.Optom., 1946 FAMILY: Wife, Bernice; two children RELIGION: NR MILITARY: Army, 1943-46 OCCUPATION: Optometrist POLITICAL CAREER: None ADDRESS: 14711 North Shotgun Place, Tucson 85737. Tel.: 520-825-8471

Nelson, running for his first political office at the age of 74, is a retired optometrist who served in World War II. He's committed to curbing the crime rate with "severe penalties" for drug offenses and crimes committed with guns. He also advocates a single-payer health-care system that would eliminate HMOs and insurance companies.

THE ISSUES Budget NO Medicare NO Defense YES Abortion NO Guns YES Gays YES Bosnia YES NAFTA YES Welfare YES Medical Leave YES (For an explanation of these issues, see the front of this guide.)

QUOTE OF NOTE: "I will propose a national health plan similar to the Canadian system, which will cover every citizen from cradle to grave and will include long-term nursing care."

J.D. HAYWORTH (R) District 6 (Northeast--Flagstaff; Navajo reservation)

BORN: July 12, 1958, High Point, N.C. EDUCATION: North Carolina State U, B.A., 1980 FAMILY: Wife, Mary; three children RELIGION: Baptist MILITARY: None OCCUPATION: Sports broadcaster; public relations consultant; insurance agent POLITICAL CAREER: U.S. House, 1994- ADDRESS: P.O. Box 14273, Scottsdale 85267. Tel.: 602-614-1159

The centerpiece of Hayworth's first term was a bill to require a congressional act before the Executive Branch could write new regulations. He also has a strong environmental record, voting for the 1996 Safe Drinking Water Act and the $72 million Forest Health Initiative for wildlife management. He will need all his political instincts to stave off a hard-charging challenger.

THE ISSUES Budget YES Medicare YES Defense NO Abortion YES Guns NR Gays NR Bosnia YES NAFTA NR Welfare YES Medical Leave NR (For an explanation of these issues, see the front of this guide.)

QUOTE OF NOTE: "Congress must have the final oversight of rules and regulations so the people can ultimately decide."

STEVE OWENS (D) District 6 BORN: Aug. 19, 1955, Memphis, Tenn. EDUCATION: Brown U, A.B., 1978; Vanderbilt U, J.D., 1981 FAMILY: Wife, Karen; two children RELIGION: Episcopalian MILITARY: None OCCUPATION: Lawyer; congressional aide POLITICAL CAREER: Arizona Democratic Party chairman, 1993-95 ADDRESS: P.O. Box 8129, Scottsdale 85252. Tel.: 602-661-1131

The son of a truck driver, first-time House candidate Owens brings with him a long list of political credentials, including having been a top aide to Al Gore on Capitol Hill. A supporter of the minimum-wage increase, he says protecting the interests of working families is one of his major goals. Owens also vows to fight cuts in Medicare and student loans. In a district where George Bush defeated Bill Clinton by just 237 votes, Democrat Owens could make this a race.

THE ISSUES

Budget NR Medicare NR Defense NR Abortion NR Guns NR Gays NR Bosnia NR NAFTA NR Welfare NR Medical Leave NR (For an explanation of these issues, see the front of this guide.)

QUOTE OF NOTE: "Let's go to Sears [where his mother works] and explain to the people who work there why $5.15 an hour is too much to pay them."