Ron Gould (politician)
Ron Gould | |
|---|---|
| Member of the Arizona Senate from the 3rd district | |
| In office January 3, 2005 – January 10, 2013 | |
| Preceded by | Linda Binder |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Ronald Charles Gould |
| Political party | Republican |
| Profession | Small business owner |
Ronald Charles Gould (born August 31, 1965) is a small business owner and a former Republican member of the Arizona Senate from Lake Havasu City, representing the 3rd Senate District from 2005 until 2013.
Early life, education, and business career[edit]
Gould was born and raised in Orange County, California, but moved to Arizona in 1995. He was a councilman from Lake Havasu City. He has been a small business owner of an air conditioning and heating company since 1984.[1]
Arizona Senate[edit]
Elections[edit]
In 2004, he decided to run for the open seat Arizona Senate's 3rd District. In the Republican primary, he defeated State Representative Joe Hart and Bill Wagner 40%-30%-30%.[2] In the general election, he won his first term unopposed.[3]
In 2006, he won re-election to a second term with 62% of the vote.[4] In 2008, he won re-election to a third term with 63% of the vote.[5] In 2010, he won re-election to a fourth term with 72% of the vote.[6]
Termed out of the state Senate, he decided to pursue a congressional seat in Arizona's 4th District.
Tenure[edit]
The Goldwater Institute, Americans for Prosperity, and the Arizona Federation of Taxpayers rate him as the most conservative Arizona State Senator.[7] He voted for the controversial anti-illegal immigration bill Arizona SB 1070.[8] Gould sponsored legislation that would've allowed concealed carry permit holders to carry firearms at public university and community college campuses, as is the law at most government buildings in Arizona.[9] He sponsored SB 1309 that would change the law to get "Arizona citizenship," a baby must be "a child of at least one parent who owes no allegiance to any foreign sovereignty, or a child without citizenship or nationality in any foreign country." He also sponsored SB 1308, which would seek to add a distinction on "birth certificates, certifications of live birth or other birth records ... between a person born in the party state who is born subject to the jurisdiction of the United States and a person who is not born subject to the jurisdiction of the United States."[10]
Committee assignments[edit]
- 2011–2012
- Appropriations Committee (vice chair)
- Finance Committee
- Government Reform Committee
- Judiciary Committee (chair)
- Water, Land Use and Rural Development Committee
- 2009–2010
- Appropriations Committee
- Finance Committee
- Retirement and Rural Development Committee (chair)
2012 congressional election[edit]
In the wake of redistricting, Gould announced on December 1, 2011, that he will form exploratory committee to run for the newly created Arizona's 4th congressional district.[11] A month later, he officially entered the race.
Gould lost the primary to incumbent Paul Gosar, who had represented the 1st Congressional District prior to the 2012 redistricting.
Controversies[edit]
In 2010, Ron Gould walked out of Republican Governor Jan Brewer's State of the State Speech in objection to a proposal that would have temporarily raised sales taxes.[12]
Guns on campus[edit]
Ron Gould sponsored "Guns on College Campus" legislation which would prohibit college administrators from banning guns on college campuses throughout Arizona.[13] Reports showed that the bill would cost the universities $13 million in one time fees and $3 million in yearly costs if administrators prohibited weapons in classrooms, but the bill did not appropriate any additional money to cover the cost.[14] The bill ultimately failed to pass and Gould declared it "dead" in May 2012.[15]
Personal life[edit]
He lives with his wife, Janice, and his three children: Ronald Jr, Robert, and Rachael.
References[edit]
- ^ "Member Page". Azleg.gov. Retrieved 2017-07-05.
- ^ "AZ State Senate 03 - R Primary Race - Sep 07, 2004". Our Campaigns. Retrieved 2017-07-05.
- ^ "AZ State Senate 3 Race - Nov 02, 2004". Our Campaigns. Retrieved 2017-07-05.
- ^ "AZ State Senate 03 Race - Nov 07, 2006". Our Campaigns. Retrieved 2017-07-05.
- ^ "AZ State Senate 03 Race - Nov 04, 2008". Our Campaigns. Retrieved 2017-07-05.
- ^ "AZ State Senate 03 Race - Nov 02, 2010". Our Campaigns. Retrieved 2017-07-05.
- ^ "Ron Gould for State Senate". Rongould.com. Retrieved 2017-07-05.
- ^ "Format Document". Azleg.gov. Retrieved 2017-07-05.
- ^ "Gov. Brewer Vetoes Birther Bill, Guns on Campus". Archived from the original on 2011-04-28. Retrieved 2013-12-21.
- ^ "Arizona Legislators|File 'Birther' Laws". Courthousenews.com. 2011-02-01. Retrieved 2017-07-05.
- ^ Mike Sunnucks (December 1, 2011). "State Senator Ron Gould exploring congressional run". Phoenix Business Journal. Retrieved 11 May 2023.
- ^ "Help Center - the Arizona Republic".
- ^ Rau, Alia (2011-12-28). "Arizona legislators renew push for guns on campus". Azcentral.com. Retrieved 2017-07-05.
- ^ "Guns-on-campus plan would cost Arizona schools millions". Content.usatoday.com. 2012-03-01. Retrieved 2017-07-05.
- ^ Mar. 27, 2012 03:51 PM Associated Press (2012-03-27). "Arizona guns-on-campus bill is dead, lawmaker says". Azcentral.com. Retrieved 2017-07-05.
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