Len Munsil

Len Munsil was the Arizona Republican Party nominee for Governor of Arizona in the Arizona gubernatorial election, 2006, coming from behind to upset Don Goldwater in the Republican primary in his first run for any elective office. He lost to incumbent Janet Napolitano in the general election on November 7, 2006.

Personal background

Len Munsil is also known as the founder of the Center for Arizona Policy, a public policy organization emphasizing socially conservative issues. Munsil personally drafted and lobbied seven of the more than 60 laws promoted by CAP since its founding in 1996.

Munsil attended Arizona State University and was the editor of the university's newspaper, The State Press. Under Munsil the editorial direction of the paper became conservative—particularly toward faculty members viewed by Munsil and his student journalist colleagues as too leftist. Munsil was selected Outstanding Journalism Graduate of the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism/Telecommunications.

Munsil has been a licensed attorney since 1988, and is currently of counsel to Mueller, Drury and Lawrence. He is admitted to practice in Arizona and federal courts, including eight U.S. Circuit Courts of Appeal and the United States Supreme Court. He has authored numerous amicus curiae briefs for the U.S. Supreme Court. Munsil served in a judicial clerkship for Judge Daniel A. Manion of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit and was appointed by former Arizona Governor Fife Symington to the Arizona Juvenile Justice Advisory Council. He is author or co-author of two legal manuals.

In 2010, Munsil was named as the 6th President in the 50-year history of Southwestern College in Phoenix, Arizona. Munsil had been a member of the Board of Trustees for six years and an adjunct professor of Political Science at the College since 1995.

Munsil and his wife, Tracy, have eight children. Tracy is also a former State Press editor and Outstanding Journalism Graduate of the Cronkite school, as is their daughter, Leigh. Tracy is a full-time faculty member in the Arizona State University School of Politics and Global Studies. Leigh is now a reporter for the Dallas Morning News.

On his father's side he is descended from five signers of The Mayflower Compact and about a dozen men who fought in the American Revolution.

2006 Gubernatorial Election

During the campaign, Munsil was endorsed by four Republican Congressmen from Arizona: Jeff Flake, Trent Franks, Rick Renzi, and John Shadegg. [2] He was also endorsed by Senator John McCain and more than 30 state legislators. [3].

Early polls suggested that Munsil had significant ground to make up in the primary, indicating in July that he had a mere 12% of Republican voters behind him.[4] Don Goldwater, nephew of the late U.S. Senator and U.S. presidential candidate Barry Goldwater, came in second in a four-way Republican Primary Election on Sept. 12th. Munsil received 50.6% of the vote, while Goldwater garnered only 39.7%. Mike Harris earned 6.1% and Gary Tupper mustered 3.7%.

In the general election, just 8 weeks later, Munsil was defeated by incumbent Governor Janet Napolitano by a 62.6% to 35.4% margin.

History of opinion polls for election

Zogby/Wall Street Journal - September 19-September 25, 2006, likely voters, +/-4% [5]

Polls	%
Janet Napolitano	50.4%
Len Munsil	41%
Barry Hess	4%

Cronkite-Eight - September 21–24, 2006, registered voters, +/-3% [6]

Polls	%
Janet Napolitano	64%
Len Munsil	28%
Barry Hess	2%

Rasmussen Reports - September 18, 2006, likely voters [7]

Polls	%
Janet Napolitano	56%
Len Munsil	38%

Survey USA - September 16–18, 2006, likely voters, +/-4.6% [8]

Polls	%
Janet Napolitano	56%
Len Munsil	40%

External links

• Len Munsil's Daily Blog