Sec. of State Brewer Appoints Donald Lindholm for Clean Elections Seat

Expects New Commissioner to be Fair and Evenhanded in Implementing Clean Elections Law

PHOENIX -- Secretary of State Jan Brewer today appointed Phoenix Independent Donald Lindholm to serve on the Citizens Clean Elections Commission. The appointment officially fills the vacancy for the seat left open by the resignation of Commissioner Carl Kunasek, and is scheduled to expire on January 31, 2009.

Donald Lindholm is a partner at the law firm of Burch & Cracchiolo, P.A, having practiced with the firm since 1985. He is the senior partner of the domestic relations/family law department. Mr. Lindholm also lectures on evaluation procedures, tax matters in dissolution actions and the preparation and enforcement of premarital agreements. He was admitted to practice law in 1966 after graduating from the University of Arizona 's College of Law where he was the President of the Student Bar Foundation.

“Don will bring a great deal of fairness, consistency, and knowledge to the Clean Election process,” stated Secretary Brewer, “I feel his impressive experience and strong people skills will serve the citizens of Arizona extremely well. I have complete confidence that Don will do an outstanding job in serving on the Clean Election Commission.”

No more than two members of the Clean Election Commission may be residents of the same county and no more than two may be members of the same political party. All candidates for this Commissioner seat had to meet the following criteria per Arizona Revised Statute:

• Shall not be a member of the Democratic Party;
• Shall have been registered to vote continuously recorded for at least five years immediately preceding appointment with the same political party or as an independent;
• Shall be committed to enforcing the Act in an honest, independent and impartial fashion and to seek to uphold public confidence in the integrity of the electoral system;
• Shall be a qualified elector who has not, in the previous five years in the state, been appointed to, been elected to, or run for any public office, including precinct committeeman, or served as an officer of a political party;
• No commissioner, during his or her tenure or for three years thereafter, shall seek or hold any other public office, serve as an officer or a political party;
• No commissioner, during his or her tenure or for three years thereafter, shall seek or hold any other public office, serve as an officer of any political committee, or employ or be employed as a lobbyist.

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