Failed MAGA candidate Steve Slaton, who lost the 2024 Arizona primary election amid accusations of stolen valor, has launched a write-in campaign for the general election. According to a report from FOX 10, his campaign ad accuses rival Walt Blackman of illegally obtaining military records. However, Slaton's efforts may be complicated by the "sore loser" law, which disqualifies primary losers from running as write-in candidates in subsequent elections, casting doubt on the validity of his campaign.
Slaton is claiming foul play in a radio ad, but investigations by the groups Guardians of the Green Beret and Guardian of Valor, reported by FOX 10, have pointed out inconsistencies in his claims about military service during the Vietnam War. They found that Slaton did not serve in Vietnam and lacked the combat pilot training he claimed; he actually served as a Cobra helicopter mechanic. Despite this and Blackman's significant primary win by about 9,000 votes, Slaton continues to urge voters: "Vote on November 5th for Steve Slaton, the write-in candidate for LD-7 house."
Moving from the state to the national stage, former President Donald Trump appeared during a NASCAR post-race coverage on NBC, in what was a clear invocation of the "equal time" rule following Vice President Kamala Harris' appearance on "Saturday Night Live." CNN reported that the government's rule, which maintains a balance of airtime for political candidates, was triggered by Trump allies after Harris' cameo. Brendan Carr, appointed by Trump to the FCC in 2017, called the Vice President's slot on the comedy show "this is a clear and blatant effort to evade the FCC’s Equal Time rule"
Trump appeared on screen with a MAGA cap, stating, "We’re two days away from the most important election in the history of our country," and "We’ve gotta save our country, and it needs saving, it’s in very bad shape," as stated by CNN. This message aired during a sports broadcast without challenge. In Arizona, the conflict between Steve Slaton and Walt Blackman raises questions about political narratives and election rules. Tom Collins, Executive Director of AZ Clean Elections, told FOX 10 that voters writing in Slaton's name are wasting their votes, as he is not recognized as an official write-in candidate. Attempts to contact Slaton for comment received no response.
