Halloween VI: Election Fright!

In the sixth congressional district, J.D. Hayworth and Steve Owens have run campaigns so devoid of content it's almost scary

Comments (0) By Amy Silverman Thursday, Oct 31 1996

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When asked during a debate on KTAR radio October 16 what his priority would be if elected, J.D. Hayworth mentioned the possibility of enacting a national sales tax. Campaign manager Scott Celley--who did not happen to be listening to the debate--hotly denied that his boss had endorsed such a tax.

The Owens' camp kicked into high gear, issuing press releases denouncing Hayworth for supporting such a thing--and Celley for denying that support.

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The denial itself--and Celley's eventual retraction of the denial--became the story. Any discussion of the pros and cons of a national sales tax were an afterthought.

Last week, Hayworth skipped a final chance to debate Owens. At the last minute, the incumbent dropped out of a League of Women's Voters debate. He didn't like the moderator, Arizona Republic columnist Steve Wilson, and the league refused to bend to Hayworth's wishes for choosing a moderator.

District 6 voters will have to watch the rest of the campaign on television. It will only be conducted during ad breaks.