By Jersey Boy
Former Channel 10 anchor Kari Lake’s decision to dive into politics is fascinating but not groundbreaking. Arizona broadcasters have a long history of running for and winning elected office. Before he was a talk radio host or a member of Congress, JD Hayworth was a sportscaster on Channel 10 from 1987 to 1994.
In the 80’s and 90’s Ed Phillips was a familiar face and voice. Prior to his election in 1990 as an Arizona State Senator, he was a meteorologist for channels 12 and 10, as well as radio station KTAR. After two terms he went back to weather serving as Channel 15’s meteorologist until 2003.
Nina Trasoff was a well-known anchor and reporter at KGUN TV in Tucson before winning a seat on the Tucson City Council in 2005.
“One-Eyed Jack” Williams was a colorful Governor of Arizona and Mayor of Phoenix in a political career that spanned the 50’s and 60’s. Before getting into politics he was an announcer, newscaster and later Program Director at KOY Radio in Phoenix which at the time had one of the most powerful signals in Arizona. He served two terms as Phoenix Mayor and three terms as Arizona Governor. Back then the terms for both offices were two years.
As for the current candidate, Lake should be taken seriously. She spent 22 years at Channel 10, no small accomplishment in such a competitive field. And while her conservative views may not endear her to her old colleagues in the current Arizona media landscape, she is successfully courting a populist following and has become a favorite in conservative social media circles.
Before entering the Arizona governor’s race, she said she left the news business because she could no longer tolerate what she described as a left wing bias prevalent in national and local media. Given the way the media has been covering her candidacy, they are kind of proving her point.