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  Symington, III, J. Fife
  CANDIDATE DETAILS
AffiliationRepublican   
NameJ. Fife Symington, III
Address
, Arizona , United States
EmailNone
WebsiteNone
Born August 12, 1945
Died Still Living (79 years)
ContributorThomas Walker
Last ModifedRBH
Jul 18, 2019 02:08am
Tags Air Force - Episcopalian -
InfoBirth Date: August 12, 1945
Birth State: New York
Family: 5 children
Religion: Episcopalian
Spouse: Ann
Party: Republican
Periods in Office: From: January, 1991
To: September, 1997

Military Service: Air Force
Wars Served: Vietnam War
Awards/Honors: Bronze Star

J. FIFE SYMINGTON was born in New York City and raised in Maryland. He earned a bachelor's degree in liberal arts from Harvard University in 1968. He joined the U.S. Air Force after graduation and in 1971 was awarded the Bronze Star for Meritorious Service in Southeast Asia during the Vietnam War; he retired from the Air Force in 1971 with the rank of captain. He founded the Symington Company, a commercial and industrial development firm, in 1976, where he remained president and CEO until May 1989, when he began his gubernatorial campaign. After a runoff election in 1991, he became the 19th Governor of Arizona. As governor, he presided over tax reductions, income growth and surging capital investments. However, after six years in office, Symington was convicted in September 1997 of criminal charges that he defrauded lenders as a real estate developer in the 1980s. He promptly resigned and was sentenced to 30 months in federal prison. Free, pending appeal, Symington earned a degree in culinary arts and restaurant management. In 1999, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit overturned Symington's conviction. Two years later, he won a pardon from President Bill Clinton. (Interestingly, Symington met Clinton decades before in Hyannis, Massaschusetts. One day, Symington said, Clinton swam too far out and was caught in a riptide. Symington said he swam out to pull Clinton to shore, an act that prompted much needling from Republicans decades later.) Exonerated, Symington founded his own culinary school and now works as a pastry chef at a restaurant in Phoenix.

Sources:

Governors of the American States, Commonwealths and Territories, National Governors' Association, 1996.




[Link]

JOB APPROVAL POLLS
DateFirmApproveDisapproveDon't Know
09/18/2009-09/21/2009 Public Policy Polling 17.00% (+0.0) 54.00% (+0.0) 29.00% (+0.0)
04/17/1997-04/20/1997 Arizona State University 37.00% (+4.0) 63.00% (+6.0) 0.00% (-10.0)
01/22/1997-01/26/1997 Arizona State University 33.00% (-4.0) 57.00% (+0.0) 10.00% (+4.0)
10/18/1995-10/22/1995 Arizona State University 37.00% (+0.0) 57.00% (+0.0) 6.00% (+0.0)

BOOKS
Title Purchase Contributor

NEWS
Date Category Headline Article Contributor
Mar 21, 2007 08:00pm News Former governor [Fife Symington] says he saw UFO  Article COSDem 
Apr 01, 2003 08:48am General Ex-Ariz. Governor Now Pastry Chef  Article Mr. Techno 

DISCUSSION
INFORMATION LINKS
RACES
  11/08/1994 AZ Governor Won 52.54% (+8.21%)
  09/13/1994 AZ Governor - R Primary Won 68.14% (+36.27%)
  02/28/1991 AZ Governor Runoff Won 52.36% (+4.72%)
  11/06/1990 AZ Governor- Requires Run-Off Won 49.65% (+0.41%)
  09/11/1990 AZ Governor - R Primary Won 43.78% (+19.30%)
ENDORSEMENTS
Maricopa County Supervisor - District 2 - R Primary - Jul 30, 2024 R Thomas Galvin
AZ Governor - R Primary - Aug 02, 2022 R Karrin Taylor Robson
AZ Attorney General - R Primary - Aug 02, 2022 R Andrew Gould
AZ Secretary of State - R Primary - Aug 02, 2022 R Beau Lane
Phoenix, AZ Mayor - Primary - Aug 30, 2011 R Wes Gullett
AZ District 05 - R Primary - Aug 24, 2010 R Jim Ward
AZ Governor - R Primary - Aug 24, 2010 R John Munger
FL US Senate - R Primary - Aug 24, 2010 D Charlie Crist
AZ US Senate - R Primary - Aug 24, 2010 R John McCain
AZ State Senate 08 - R Primary - Sep 12, 2006 R Carolyn S. Allen
AZ Governor - R Primary - Sep 12, 2006 R Len Munsil
Maricopa County Attorney - R Primary - Sep 07, 2004 R Andrew Pacheco
AZ-1996-Proposition 102 (jurisdiction over juveniles) - Nov 05, 1996 YES Yes
AZ Governor - Recall - May 17, 1988 R John Jacob Rhodes, Jr.
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