Terry Goddard
Samuel Pearson "Terry" Goddard, III is the current Attorney General of Arizona, elected in 2002, who also served as Mayor of Phoenix, Arizona from 1983 to 1990.
Life and Private Career
Known by most Arizonans by his nickname, Terry was born and raised in Tucson, Arizona and received his law degree from Arizona State University after serving an active duty tour in the U.S. Navy. His time as a private attorney saw him working in the Arizona Attorney General's office, as well as representing real estate developers in Arizona. During one trial, Goddard represented a landlord who was being sued by a tenant who was represented by fellow future Mayor of Phoenix, Phil Gordon.
Goddard's father, Samuel Pearson Goddard, Jr., served as Governor of Arizona from 1965 to 1967. Goddard is married and has one son.
Political career
Goddard's first serious foray into electoral politics came in 1982, when he led the successful push for members of the Phoenix City Council to be elected from districts, instead of by a majority of all voters citywide. The measure is credited with significantly opening up Phoenix city government, and in 1984 Goddard was elected Mayor. Within a decade, all of the members of the City Council who had been elected at-large, and who had been considered unbeatable under the previous system, were no longer serving on the Council. Goddard was re-elected four times, serving through 1990.
In 1990, Goddard sought and won the Arizona Democratic Party's nomination for Governor of Arizona, but was defeated in a runoff by Fife Symington, who, after winning a second term, resigned in 1997 amid charges of bank fraud.
Goddard served as Arizona State Director for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development from 1995 to 2002.
In 2002, Arizona Democratic Party chairman and future candidate for the United States Senate Jim Pederson persuaded Goddard to enter the race for Attorney General of Arizona to succeed Janet Napolitano, who was running for Governor. He was elected that year with a greater margin than Napolitano received for Governor, receiving over 50% of the vote; he and a number of other candidates for office that year ran publicly-financed campaigns under Arizona's Clean Elections program.
During his time as Attorney General, Goddard's stated focus has been on cyber crime, consumer protection, predatory lending, and deceptive advertising. He has also focused on limiting access to legal substances which can be used in methamphetamine production, and has been working with Utah Attorney General Mark Shurtleff to investigate and prosecute suspected polygamists and government abuse in the neighboring communities of Colorado City, Arizona and Hildale, Utah.
Goddard is running for re-election to the office of Attorney General in 2006.