Republicans can still win in Arizona, even with ranked choice voting

Members of the Arizona Freedom Caucus are currently trying to pass bills in the Arizona Legislature to ban ranked-choice voting.

Part of their argument is that these reforms are a scam to defeat Republican candidates. Republicans critical of ranked choice cite Sarah Palin’s loss of Alaska’s one congressional seat.

However, before throwing out an entire system, it would seem logical to look at more than one race.

A quick search of Ballotpedia shows the following results for this past election in Alaska. These races were held with a top-four open primary and ranked-choice voting. This past November, Alaskans elected:

• A Republican governor.

• A Republican lieutenant governor.

• A Republican for U.S. Senate.

• Eleven Republicans to the state Senate.

• Twenty-one Republicans to the state House.

If ranked-choice voting is designed to defeat Republicans, it doesn’t seem to work very well.

To learn more about the benefits of open primaries and ranked-choice voting, please visit https://www.voterchoicearizona.org/ or https://www.savedemocracyaz.com.

Mark Cable, Tolleson

Trump deserves the same justice as us

The indictment of a former United States president is now, for the first time, a fact.

We Americans expect the justice system to uphold the rule of law in Donald Trump’s case. Those who break laws must be held accountable.

Whether Republican, Democrat, independent or otherwise, accountability is mandatory. Had you or I broken similar laws, we’d not only be arrested and indicted, we’d be convicted and serving time.

No one is above the law, especially Donald Trump. Not only is he accused of crimes for which he’s been arrested, but he has repeatedly cut corners in business.

How can anyone other than Trump loyalists believe he’s good for America? The Trump family is selfish. Their wealth and ambition come first, regardless of whom they must shun or destroy.

Please don’t succumb to the rhetoric of Trump and his supporters. To do so would lead our country to even greater division.

David Byrd, Paradise Valley

Few would make Trump's sacrifices

Whatever you think of Donald Trump, I think we can all agree that he is one tough hombre.

He was a private citizen who had it made.

Yet he decided to enter the political arena to win the presidency. Isn’t that what millions of people wanted?

Well, he did it and now look at what he’s going through. Would you ever do that? If you enjoyed his success, would you set it aside to get into politics?

I doubt it.

Trump is larger than life, and the left is scared of him – for good reason.

Jim Peterson, Sagewood

Let the justice system play out now

We’ve heard the sound bites, the bravado, the inuendo, the threats in all the noise surrounding the Trump indictment. Now’s the time to let the justice system work.

Though the courts move at a glacial pace, they don’t play the games politicos do. They won't say, “We’re going to get Trump.” They will inquire, “What documents do we have and what do witnesses say?”

The court will be guided by reason and jurisprudence, and it’s about time we saw that happen.

So, hold on to your opinions about what is fair and unfair. Let the process work.

And trust in our judicial system.

Bobbie Bookhout, Tempe

Trump prosecution is a political stunt

For the first time in U.S. history, a prosecutor has charged a former president with a crime. The crime is not even a felony, but a stack of alleged misdemeanors that have run the statute of limitations.

The case was brought by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, who signaled he would get Trump if elected.

These charges were already viewed by proper federal authorities who declined to pursue them. Further, it remains a question whether the Manhattan district attorney has the authority to prosecute a federal crime in this instance.

Another view: Trump indictment is act of political aggression

It is clear this case is factually weak and political. However, your newspaper’s story on the indictment made no mention of its weakness or political nature. Shameful.

Jerry Votendahl, Litchfield Park

What’s on your mind? Send us a letter to the editor online or via email at opinions@arizonarepublic.com. And consider joining our moderated Voices: Engaging Arizona group on Facebook.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Arizona Republicans can still win with ranked choice voting