Maricopa County Special Health Care District

Here is a description of the race, between Mary Harden and John Farnsworth. Ms Harden is incumbent, a former nurse, and a great believer in public health. She is opposed by Mr Farnsworth, who is the brother of Eddie Farnsworth, who serves in the Legislature. Neither candidate, less than 3 weeks before the election, has published campaign material on the internet. If you search facebook for Mary Harden, you will find she is endorsed by the Arizona Nurses Association and Lauren Kuby.

In 2014 the hospital system, then known as MIHS, sought voter approval for a $1 billion bond issue, to raise money to build new hospitals. Republican legislators (including Eddie Farnsworth) opposed what was called Prop 480–story here— but it passed 513,967 to 296,505 in an election in which 877,187 voted. Some members of the MIHS board also — in 2012 — opposed the bond issue and they were ousted in the 2012 election, story here. It is impossible for an outsider to know what happened — an excellent reason why governments should not run hospitals or any other service readily supplied by the market — but it seems possible that the MIHS wanted to build more hospitals and they engineered a board which would not interfere. Ms Harden began her service as a board member in the 2012 election.

Whether or not you vote for a board member, please don’t forget to vote ‘No’ on Proposition 449. See the neighboring post.