Jim Pederson

Jim Pederson (born July 12, 1942) is the Democratic Party nominee for the U.S. Senate from Arizona. He ran against Republican Jon Kyl.

Biography
Pederson was born and raised in Casa Grande, Arizona, the oldest of six brothers. Pederson's father, Ed Pederson, was the City Manager of Casa Grande for 25 years, and his mother, Lillian Pederson, was a registered nurse who stayed home to raise her sons. After high school in Casa Grande, Pederson went to the University of Arizona where he earned a bachelor's degree in political science and a master's in public administration.

After college, Pederson took a job with the Research and Budget Division for the city of Phoenix, and later worked as administrative assistant to Phoenix Mayor Milt Graham. When Graham left office, Pederson entered the commercial-development business working for Grossman Company Properties and Westcor and eventually formed The Pederson Group with his brother Gary. The Pederson Group has since developed over 25 retail projects across Arizona.

Pederson has three children and has been married to his wife, Roberta, for 33 years.

Some of the awards won by Jim Pederson, according to his Web site, are the Valley Big Brothers Leadership Award, the United Way Gold Award for Outstanding Service, and the City of Hope – Spirit of Life Award.

Democratic Party Chair
In 2001, Pederson was elected chairman of the Arizona Democratic Party, which was then in need of funds and new infrastructure. Pederson was able to bring both, and more, and he is credited with recruiting two top-notch candidates for statewide office 2002, then-Arizona Attorney General Janet Napolitano for Governor and former Phoenix mayor and gubernatorial candidate, Terry Goddard, for Attorney General.

2006 Senate Race
On September 14, 2005, Pederson formally announced his intention to run, in his home town of Casa Grande, Arizona. Pederson will be facing Jon Kyl, an incumbent who is running for a third term in the Senate. Early head-to-head polls showed Kyl significantly ahead of Pederson. In addition, a poll released on September 19, 2006 by SurveyUSA indicated that Kyl was still in the lead, although by a narrower margin: Kyl led Pederson by 48% to 43% with 7% undecided.

The race might be one of the most expensive in Arizona history. As of May 7, 2006, Kyl's campaign had raised over $9 million, primarily from private donations and large fundraising dinners. Jim Pederson's campaign raised over $5 million, primarily through a dinner event with former President Clinton and a $2 million donation from Pederson.

Kyl defeated Pederson to retain his Senate seat.

Resources

 * Jim Pederson for U.S. Senate, official campaign site.

Local blogs and discussion sites

 * AZ Congress Watch.
 * Rum, Romanism, and Rebellion
 * Daniel's News and Views
 * Western Democrat
 * Blog for Arizona

Campaign contact information
Email: jim@pederson2006.com Phoenix Office: 531 E. McDowell Rd. Phoenix, AZ 85004 (602) 262-2006

Tucson Office: 2432 E. Broadway, Tucson, AZ 85719 (520) 903-2006