PHOENIX — Insisting his constituents still want his services, ousted state Rep. Don Shooter filed paperwork Wednesday to get back in the Legislature, this time as a senator.
The Yuma Republican submitted more than 810 signatures to qualify for the August primary election. He needs 474 of those to be valid to get his name on the ballot.
The House voted 56-3 to oust him on Feb. 1 after concluding he had sexually harassed fellow legislators, lobbyists, staffers and others.
“The people never got to have their say,” Shooter said. Running for Senate, he said, provides that public input.
He’ll have competition. Republican Sine Kerr, appointed earlier this year to replace Steve Montenegro when he made an unsuccessful bid for Congress, wants to hang on to the seat. And there’s a third Republican in the race, Brent Backus. Whoever survives the GOP primary will face off against Democrat Michelle Harris.
Shooter, who previously served six years in the Senate before being elected to the House two years ago, said he wants to focus on priorities such as water law and proper funding of public education. But he acknowledged that his ouster — and the $1.3 million claim he filed against the state that he was railroaded from office and libeled, a precursor to a lawsuit — could mean he’ll be busy answering questions not about the issues, but about his expulsion.
If nothing else, Shooter said he is learning to rein in his tendency to make what he contends were wisecracks and jokes, especially in unfamiliar situations. “The main thing that I’ve learned is just to know your audience,” he said. “Don’t say stuff in front of people that don’t appreciate it.”
Some of the allegations against Shooter were that he made “unwelcome sexualized comments” to Rep. Michelle Ugenti-Rita, including about her breasts. A special investigator hired by the House also said there is evidence Shooter acted inappropriately with women.
