Terry Goddard

Samuel Pearson "Terry" Goddard, III (born January 29th, 1947), is the current Attorney General of Arizona, elected in 2002, who also served as Mayor of Phoenix, Arizona from 1983 to 1990.

Life and private career

Known by most Arizonans by his nickname, Goddard was born and raised in Tucson, Arizona. He attended Phillips Exeter Academy in Exeter, New Hampshire. After graduating from Harvard College in 1969, he served an active duty tour in the U.S. Navy. Returning to Arizona, he received his law degree from Arizona State University. His time as a private attorney saw him working in the Arizona Attorney General's office, where he prosecuted white collar crime.

Goddard's father, Samuel Pearson Goddard, Jr., served as Governor of Arizona from 1965 to 1967. Goddard is married and has one son.

Political career

Goddard's first serious foray into electoral politics came in 1982, when he led the successful push for members of the Phoenix City Council to be elected from districts, instead of by a majority of all voters citywide. This allowed minorities from certain parts of Phoenix to be elected and represent their home areas and giving those areas a voice on the council. The next election saw the election of the cities first Latino and African-American to the council in over a decade. The measure is credited with significantly opening up Phoenix city government, and in 1984 Goddard was elected Mayor. Within a decade, all of the members of the City Council who had been elected at-large, and who had been considered unbeatable under the previous system, were no longer serving on the Council. Goddard was re-elected four times, serving through 1990.

In 1990, Goddard sought and won the Arizona Democratic Party's nomination for Governor of Arizona, but was defeated in a runoff by Fife Symington, who, after winning a second term, resigned in 1997 amid charges of bank fraud. He again sought the Democratic nomination for Governor in 1994, losing the primary to Eddie Basha, Jr.

Goddard served as Arizona State Director for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development from 1995 to 2002.

In 2002, Goddard decided to enter the race for Attorney General of Arizona to succeed Janet Napolitano, who was running for Governor. He was elected that year with a greater margin than Napolitano received for Governor, receiving over 50% of the vote; he and a number of other candidates for office that year ran publicly financed campaigns under Arizona's Clean Elections program.

During his time as Attorney General, Goddard's stated focus has been on cyber crime, consumer protection, predatory lending, and deceptive advertising. He has also focused on limiting access to legal substances which can be used in methamphetamine production, and has been working with Utah Attorney General Mark Shurtleff to investigate and prosecute suspected polygamists and government abuse in the neighboring communities of Colorado City, Arizona and Hildale, Utah. This led to the capture of polygamist leader and self-proclaimed prophet Warren Jeffs.

Goddard was re-elected to the office of Attorney General in 2006 with 60% of the vote.

External links

* [http://www.azag.gov/ www.azag.gov]