Differences between Jan Brewer and Terry Goddard

Jan Brewer and Terry Goddard

Jan Brewer and Terry Goddard were the primary contestants in the 2010 Arizona gubernatorial election. Brewer, a Republican, served as the 22nd Governor of Arizona from 2009 to 2015. She assumed the office following the resignation of Janet Napolitano, who left to become the United States Secretary of Homeland Security. Goddard, a Democrat, served as the Arizona Attorney General from 2003 to 2011 and previously held the office of Mayor of Phoenix. Their political records reflect different approaches to state sovereignty, immigration enforcement, and campaign finance.

Comparison table

Category	Jan Brewer	Terry Goddard
Political party	Republican	Democratic
State executive office	Governor (2009–2015)	Attorney General (2003–2011)
Municipal office	Maricopa County Board of Supervisors	Mayor of Phoenix (1984–1990)
2010 election result	Elected with 54.3% of the vote	Defeated with 42.4% of the vote
Immigration policy	Supported SB 1070 enforcement	Opposed SB 1070 as unconstitutional
Healthcare policy	Expanded Medicaid (AHCCCS) in 2013	Supported the Affordable Care Act
Campaign finance	Used traditional fundraising	Advocate for "dark money" disclosure

Venn diagram comparing Differences between Jan Brewer and Terry Goddard

Political careers and 2010 election

Brewer began her career in the Arizona House of Representatives and the Arizona Senate before serving on the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors. She was elected Secretary of State in 2002 and re-elected in 2006. As governor, her administration was characterized by fiscal austerity measures intended to address a multibillion-dollar budget deficit during the Great Recession. In 2010, she signed the Support Our Law Enforcement and Safe Neighborhoods Act (SB 1070), which required state and local law enforcement to attempt to determine the immigration status of a person during a lawful stop if there was reasonable suspicion that the person was in the country illegally.

Goddard is the son of former Arizona Governor Samuel Pearson Goddard Jr. After serving as Mayor of Phoenix, he ran for governor unsuccessfully in 1990, 1994, and 2010. During his tenure as Attorney General, Goddard focused on prosecuting organized crime and consumer fraud. In the 2010 campaign, he argued that SB 1070 would lead to racial profiling and harm the state's relationship with its largest trading partner, Mexico. He also contended that the law was an attempt by the state to preempt federal authority over immigration.

Policy divergence

The two figures differed on the role of state government in social and economic issues. While Brewer was a member of the Republican Party, she faced intra-party opposition in 2013 when she pushed for the expansion of Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act. She argued that the expansion was a pragmatic choice to bring federal tax dollars back to the state and support Arizona hospitals. Goddard supported the federal healthcare law from its inception and argued that Brewer's earlier opposition to various federal programs had been politically motivated.

In the years following the 2010 election, Goddard became a leader in the "Outlaw Dirty Money" movement. This initiative sought to amend the Arizona Constitution to require the public disclosure of the original sources of all large contributions used for political advertisements. Brewer remained active in Republican politics and served as a surrogate for various national candidates, maintaining her focus on border security and state-level deregulation.

References

• Arizona Secretary of State. (2010). "State of Arizona Official Canvass: 2010 General Election."
• Archibold, R. C. (2010). "Arizona Enacts Stringent Law on Immigration." The New York Times.
• Cooper, K. J. (2010). "Goddard, Brewer Spar Over SB 1070 in Final Debate." Associated Press.
• Christie, B. (2013). "Brewer signs Arizona Medicaid expansion into law." The Arizona Republic.
• Pitzl, M. J. (2022). "Arizona voters pass Proposition 211, aimed at stopping 'dark money'." Arizona Republic.