Gabriela Saucedo Mercer is running on empty and facing lawsuits for services that went unpaid.

"Congressional District 3 candidate Gabriela Saucedo Mercer is running her campaign in the red, a new campaign finance report shows ... The Republican candidate raised $1,951 in the first quarter, according to a report filed with the Federal Election Commission on Friday."

 "AMS Marketing & Consulting says Saucedo Mercer owes them nearly $9,000, according to a a breach-of-contract suit in Pima County Justice Court in June 2013 ... Saucedo Mercer filed a counter claim saying she doesn’t owe and she wants her money back for $3,200 she paid to AMS last spring."

read more here: http://azstarnet.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/elections/grijalva-opponent-out-of-cash-and-getting-sued/article_0d4bcaf4-5b50-5e76-8817-e3e2be7e6199.html

Private citizen violently attacked by Gabriela Saucedo Mercer supporters

Gabriela Saucedo Mercer Defeated, Denies Reality

ABC 15 reported that Gabriela Saucedo Mercer has been defeated for AZ CD3 by her Democratic incumbent U.S. Representative Raul Grijalva, who will begin his sixth term.
"...The people of Arizona are essentially decent and good people." Grijalva told the Tuscon Sentinel. "You can't win" in Arizona with "anti-immigrant rhetoric."

Mercer was "losing her race against current representative Raul Grijalva, 62.02% to 33.7%" on election night according to David Mendez at the Tuscon Weekly.

In their article "Dispatch from Crazyland", the Tuscon Weekly highlights a press release that Mercer sent out Nov 9, 3 days after the election, in which she claims “With such a tight race, and several thousand ballots yet to count, we are waiting until all the provisional and mail in ballots are counted before we decide what we will do next.”

Grijalva appears to have won with 57.70%  of the vote with 82,709 votes over Mercer's 37.76% with 54,127 votes. Libertarian Blanca Guerra earned 4.38% with 6,275 votes according to the AZ Secretary of State website. The district is home to approximately 650,000 people.

Despite that fact, Mercer's press release states "Until we know that we have lost the battle for this election, I will not concede defeat."

Her victor, Rep. Raul Grijalva, posted to his Facebook page that "Apparently Mrs. Mercer believes the campaign continues. In a post at the Tucson Weekly called "Dispatch From Crazyland" we learn that she's convinced herself our 58-37 margin is really only a matter of about 1,100 votes. She's promising to fight to the end and stay in politics either way. Just a little good news for anyone who isn't ready for election season to be over."

Mercer Interviewed 3 days prior to election

"I am not a politician."

Interview with Republican Candidate Gabriela Saucedo Mercer for CD 3 by NMGPolitics

Mercer Accuses Grijalva of Treason in Televised Forum

Gabriela Saucedo Mercer electrified an otherwise routine debate when she pulled off the gloves and sank to red baiting her opponent, incumbent Raul Grijalva, calling him treasonous for his involvement with Code Pink where she claims he issued a letter granting members passage "behind enemy lines." The debate aired and was streamed live on Arizona Public Media channels and is available to view on demand.

About 2/3 into the debate on the issue of military and defense, Mercer suddenly accused Grijalva of wanting to "destroy our military" and of aiming at the Marine base in Yuma for closure. Grijalva did not address Yuma but mentioned diplomacy over military action on the global stage. As the discussion came back to her she derided president Obama for not ending the war, mentioned that her daughter is a U.S. Marine, and then blamed politicians for not winning "the wars."

"I find it very (disingenuous) or insincere when Mr. Grijalva talks about our brave men and women in uniform," KGUN 9's Kevin Keen reports Mercer said, "when he himself, along with three other members of Congress, gave Code Pink a congressional letter to allow them to travel behind enemy lines to bring them aid and comfort to the enemy. Excuse me. In my book, that is treason," she said to a suddenly vocal audience at the Pima Community College theater.

Grijalva responded by equating Viet Nam era militarism with Afghanistan era politics, acknowledged Mercer's right to speak, but cautioned her "about how we use such a weapon as treason," adding that her claims were "without merit." Following a mixed reaction from the crowd, in a dramatic moment, Mercer offered her most precise delivery of the night to "ask one question. What else would you call it?"

Grijalva responded again to the accusation the next morning by posting the following to his Facebook page:

"At last night's debate Mrs. Mercer accused me -- again -- of being a wild-eyed traitor. In case your conservative friends are sending you their favorite two-year-old chain e-mails, here are the facts. If someone wants to represent you in Congress, they should have more to say about issues that really matter. Just my two cents." 

He then links to this Media Matters article that corrects a previous story in which Jim Hoft "wrongly accused Barbara Boxer, Raul Grijalva, Henry Waxman and Dennis Kucinich of helping Code Pink deliver $600,000 to extremists in Fallujah."

Grijalva's online rebuttal is on the heels of his just uploaded  YouTube ad attacking Mercer as living in an "alternate political universe devoid of fact or common sense." Saucedo Mercer had previously attacked Grijalva's 2010 boycott call against AB 1070 with this ad. The two were at it only two weeks ago in debate at  Rio Rico High School.

For Mercer, Code Pink is old news. In 2010 she filed a police report against one of his staffers for "stealing" Ruth McClung campaign signs, something she discovered while attempting to confront him about Code Pink.

Calling Grijalva "un American" is nothing new for Mercer. In February this year she earned herself a spot on Thom Hartmann's "The Good the Bad the Ugly" segment for that very phrase. Back in September PAC "People for Grijalva" uploaded another video of Mercer, a sort of "greatest hits" of her making four minutes worth of accusations. In May she proclaimed to the Arizona Daily Independent that the Tuscon Unified School District was "offering classes which create hate and resentment, and more importantly Obama and Grijalva voters,” then told POLITICO that people in Nogales wanted to lynch Grijalva, a claim the alleged source of the tale, the mayor, flatly denied. And just weeks ago she told KNST that "the story [she] heard" was that Grijalva was swearing in a restaurant.

Beyond her dislike for Grijalva, Saucedo Mercer went on to say in the debate that to her it seems president Obama is guilty of "dereliction of duty" for his use of executive order, a process exercised by almost every president in history, and called the president's immigration deferment, like the Dream Act, "a political ploy." She also blamed local state and federal governments for standing in the way of a "free market", citing the Rosemont Copper Mine as an "insane" example of government regulation.

"Securing the border is not about keeping the poor illegal alien from coming here looking for a job," she said, and drew applause for her opposition to "transnational smuggling." In closing she said she understands the people of Arizona and promised if elected to work hard as a citizen legislator.

Blanca Guerra, who appeared very relaxed for the public forum, spoke of  "more blue less green" on the border, the need for less "over regulation", called for a cap on premiums charged by insurance companies under Obamacare, and of being the Libertarian "voice of the people." She passed on at least one opportunity to speak, acknowledging that she had been upstaged as Mercer and Grijalva traded barbs.

Despite the high level of political theater and overused rhetoric, Grijalva reached out to Mercer and the two shook hands following the end of the debate and, in symbolism they seemed unaware of, walked away to their respective left and right corners of the stage to continue their battle for Arizona's 3rd Congressional seat.

KVOA covered the debate in a brief report, saying that there was a police presence on the campus and at the full house event. Campus authorities stated they would "staff [the debate] properly."

The debate is available for viewing in its entirety on the Arizona Public Media website.

###

A Look Back at Saucedo Mercer's First Debate

As candidate Gabriela Saucedo Mercer prepares for her second debate tonight with opponents Raul Grijalva and Blanca Guerra, we may want to take a look back as she joined her primary opponent, Jaime Vasquez, in a debate that was televised on Arizona Public Media July 30, 2012. Mercer of course won that election with approximately 64% of the vote.
The format will be similar for tonight's debate, inside the Proscenium Theater at Pima Community College, except it will be on a stage before a live audience. The event will be aired live on KVOI, allegedly streamed over KUAT channel 6 and will be available on the Arizona Public Media website Oct 10.

Agent Nicholas Ivie

Attendance at recent Mercer appearances suggest supporters who don't actually live in her district may travel to the event, and there may be a gathering outside or in the studio. And if the trios' first debate was any indication, Mercer is likely to receive heat for recently stating in social media that Border Patrol Agent Nicholas Ivie was "killed by illegals", long before any evidence to support the claim was available. Ivie was actually the unfortunate victim of  friendly fire in the field and died in the line of duty. The Los Angeles Times reported that weapons found on the scene were bought locally, at the Frontier Gun Shop, right in Tuscon, so gun control may be on the discussion list tonight. It was a topic July 30, when Mercer said "gun control is not the answer."

" ... Anything that is being used by a bad person, or a mentally unstable person, is going to happen," she saiys in the video at about 3:49, adding that had movie goers been armed, they could have stopped James E. Holmes from killing 12 people in Aurora, CO. Interestingly enough, that statement was made the day of Holmes' arraignment.

"Border Patrol agents on horseback led a public funeral procession in Arizona on Monday for [fellow agent Nicholas Ivie], shot dead near the Mexico border in an apparent friendly fire incident, as his family said it sought healing for all involved," reported Reuters Monday.

Border security, human and drug trafficking were among the topics discussed in the July 30 program as were the Affordable Care Act ( for which Mercer suggests an alternative: emergency rooms) and the Rosemont Copper Mine.

Observers can probably also expect some comment regarding Raul Grijalva's recent YouTube ad attacking Mercer as living in an "alternate political universe devoid of fact or common sense."

For tonight's event, "the debate organizers have asked that no one wear any campaign shirts, buttons or bring materials," Mercer posted on her Facebook page. "Please be respectful of the rules. You can wear a red shirt, it just cannot be my red campaign shirt. We were told that some people get there up to 3 hours early, so be warned! Come early for a seat."

C.J. Karamargin, Vice Chancellor for Public Information and Government Relations at PCC and former Gabrielle Giffords  communications director is aware of the significance of the upcoming debate. When asked by the author if he could comment on any changes in security measures offered no details but affirmed, "We are fully aware of the high level of public interest in this debate and we are going to staff it properly."

Despite her victory against Vasquez in the primary, Mercer's campaign is in trouble, with her cash on hand under $10,000 by now and her endorsements drying up in the wake of a series of controversial phrases and statements, some of which she makes here. She got a boost from Herman Cain last week and promptly released a new attack ad, but the horrible events surrounding Ivie's tragic death have sobered the mood.

View the debate source page here.
https://ondemand.azpm.org/videoshorts/watch/2012/7/30/14618-the-congressional-district-3-republican-primary-forum/

Gabriela Saucedo Mercer Blanks on Public Requests; Unfavorable Facebook Comments Disappear

Gabriela Saucedo Mercer has declined to respond to a Tuscon newspaper's request for guest editorial, even though others, including Libertarian candidate Blanca Guerra contributed.

The Arizona Daily Star asked "What is your economic plan to ensure the US does not end up where Europe is today?."

In Mercer's case, for Oct. 7 they published the following response:

"The Star invited Southern Arizona's congressional candidates to answer that question.
This is the first of three Sundays of guest commentaries by the congressional candidates.
District 3 Republican candidate Gabriela Saucedo Mercer declined our invitation".

 Mercer Libertarian opponent Blanca Guerra's response can be found here.

Soon after this item was published, a visitor to Saucedo Mercer's Facebook page asked:

"The AZ Daily Star states that you declined their request to offer your thoughts on how to improve the economy. If that's accurate, I am just wondering why." -Erin Simpson Oct 7 8:30 pm PST

This post has since been deleted.

In the days previous, as details surrounding the death of Border Patrol agent Nicholas Ivie unfolded, Saucedo Mercer acknowledged that the story had changed when she offered this in response to her original post on the matter, claiming that agent Ivie had been "killed by illegals" despite no evidence to support that claim:

 Gabriela Saucedo Mercer "And yet another one of our finest Border Patrol Agent is murdered by illegals and one seriously wounded." The FBI is looking into the possibility that there was "friendly fire", however Mexico has arrested 2 people under suspicion of having fired on the agents."  Saturday at 1:09am

Mercer made this statement even though no reports had suggested that the arrests in Mexico actually had anything to do with Ivie's death. Over the weekend Mercer fielded the following comments on her Facebook page:

Lisa Seifert Border Patrol officers accidentally killed their own person. Tragic, but not to be blamed on immigrants, legal or illegal. Saturday at 12:40pm

This comment is still online, Oct 9.

One visitor to Mercer's  Facebook page, Margaret Engle Reyes, demanded,

 "Myself and my family - those in AZ Are anxiously awaiting you forthcoming apology for blaming those NOT responsible for shooting the Border Patrol agents- I have friends in USBP and they certainly don't need u or those like u making their job harder by fanning the flames of dissension and hatred

When will the retraction and apology be forth coming?"

As of  9:25 am PST Oct 6, this post from Reyes was deleted from Mercer's Facebook page without a response from Mercer or her staff, but a new visitor, Richard M. Ponce, had commented:

"Your condemnation of an illegal shooting a Border Patrol Agent before the all the facts were presented and a valid conclusion rendered, shows that you, like most Tea-Party members and associates, have the bad habit of issuing statements that have absolutely no merit or validity. Your platform should be "Hang 'em first and high, then release the facts."

This post has also been deleted as of 8 p.m. Oct. 6, with no statement or response.

A third visitor,  Tracy Frank added this:

"Heads up Tucson peeps: vote for Raul M. Grijalva...we cannot allow Gabriela Saucedo Mercer to get one step closer to Washington. Her funding is already drying up, kinda like her career, because other Republicans are already onto her BS. While I am known to fight for a woman candidate - we need more of 'em in DC! - I wouldn't vote for this woman to be my county dog catcher. She lies like she took a class for it in college...remember that when you hit the polls on Nov. 6th."

By 5:30 pm Oct 7 this post was removed. No response from Mercer.


Monday morning Oct 8 Genaro Alcantara commented:

"hahahhahahahah shame on you it was friendly fire that killed our officer not the "illegals" as u proudly said !!!"

Oct 11:

Pablo Carrillo Murdered by illegals? Hmmmm would you like to retract? It's a concern of mine how you seem impulsive in your statements ie " the middle eastern mess". Win my vote please.5 hours ago via mobile

Michael Russell Not likely Pablo, she wont win mine..4 hours ago via mobile

Candidate Mercer has not responded to requests for a statement.

See The Goldman Immigration Blog where Tuscon attorneys Goldman and Goldman state, "by censoring detractors and fact checkers, her actions demonstrate that she is undeniably unprepared to be a congresswoman and deal with individuals who disagree with her or protect our constitutional right to free speech."

Friendly Fire Killed Agent, Not Illegals

Ivie family holds vigil

In a tragic accident involving three Border Patrol agents responding to a triggered remote sensor, agent Nicholas Ivie has been killed in the line of duty "by friendly fire" according to NBC. A second unidentified agent "was wounded and  ... released from the hospital after undergoing surgery." The third agent is unharmed. The report said a "lack of evidence of other criminals in the area" contributed to the official conclusion.

Gabriela Suacedo Mercer had stated in a Facebook post that Ivie had been "killed by illegals" long before any precise information was available. The Huff Post article she linked to in her statement reported that "authorities have not identified any suspects."

As events unfolded this afternoon, Mercer's Facebook page underwent a revamp to increase visibility with a new banner and a post of her attack video against opponent Raul Grijalva, but no mention of the event that occurred near Naco or any clarification of her statements. Mercer did tell ABC affiliate KGUN 9 that “It angers,” her.

“We keep hearing from Washington that the borders are secure. 'They're more secure than ever.' That is a lie. This is another proof that our borders are not secure,” she said.

Mercer fellow Tea Party member, House Representative and candidate for U.S. Senate Jeff Flake posted a statement urging action in contrast to his Democratic opponent Richard Carmona, who "urged caution to those placing blame in this case."

"Wait for the results of the investigation," he said according to KGUN 9, acknowledging the border clearly isn't secure.


Darrell Issa, California Republican, House Oversight and Government Reform Committee chair and Saucedo Mercer chum urged authorities to “avoid drawing conclusions before relevant facts are known.”

“This shooting is a tragic reminder of the dangers the brave men and women who guard our borders face every day,” he said.
 
Ivie was killed near the location agent Brian Terry was murdered in 2010, a region nicknamed "cocaine alley."   President Obama "expressed his sadness for the family’s loss, and his gratitude for Agent Ivie’s selfless service to his nation," and Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano and Border Protection Deputy Commissioner David Aguilar visited the Ivie family Friday morning and spoke with Border Patrol agents in the region..

NBC went on to report that "State and federal officials said immediately after the incident that the shootings were committed by armed criminals.  And since then, Mexican authorities have said they arrested two men in Agua Prieta, northern Sonora state, a few miles from where the shooting occurred," but even at this late stage no information about their identity, legal or immigration status, or connection to the scene of Ivie's death was available.

Tuscon Weekly published a number of official statements from Robert Heyer, Chairman of the Brian Terry Foundation and cousin of Terry, U.S. Customs and Border Protection Deputy Commissioner David Aguilar, Congressman Ron Barber, Congressman Raúl Grijalva, State Senator Gail Griffin, Rep. Chad Campbell, Arizona House Minority Leader and others.

Arizona Daily Star published photo essays here.

With a 10:10 p.m. dateline Oct 5, the Los Angeles Times is reporting that James L. Turgal Jr., FBI special agent in charge in Arizona, "cautioned that federal investigators had reached no conclusions about what happened,"but that "a high-powered rifle and a handgun were found near the shooting scene, though it was not clear whether they were connected to the incident."

The LA Times article goes on to report:

"A .223 Bushmaster rifle, seized on Wednesday, was "recovered in Mexico in the vicinity where Border Patrol agent was murdered," according to one of the documents. It says the weapon was purchased in the United States but does not specify where. A .38-caliber Titan Tiger revolver was recovered separately Tuesday in Mexico, also near the Naco area, a second document says. That trace record included this alert: "Urgent High Profile Border Agent Shot." The record says the weapon was originally purchased in February 2009 from the Frontier Gun Shop in Tucson ... There was no suggestion in the gun-trace records that the two weapons found after Ivie was killed were tied to Fast and Furious."

Todd Davis, Agent Ivie's brother in law told a regional CBS affiliate  that Ivie was "a very selfless man with his family, with his friends, in anything he did."

Donations can be made to the Nicholas Ivie Memorial Fund : National Bank of Arizona : 1160 East Fry Boulevard Sierra Vista, 85635 (520) 439-5469 or to any other branch.

 As of this writing, one visitor to Mercer's  Facebook page, Margaret Engle Reyes, demanded,

 "Myself and my family - those in AZ Are anxiously awaiting you forthcoming apology for blaming those NOT responsible for shooting the Border Patrol agents- I have friends in USBP and they certainly don't need u or those like u making their job harder by fanning the flames of dissension and hatred

When will the retraction and apology be forth coming?"

 As of  9:25 am PST Oct 6, this post from Reyes was deleted from Mercer's Facebook page without a response from Mercer or her staff, but a new visitor, Richard M. Ponce, has commented:

Your condemnation of an illegal shooting a Border Patrol Agent before the all the facts were presented and a valid conclusion rendered, shows that you, like most Tea-Party members and associates, have the bad habit of issuing statements that have absolutely no merit or validity. Your platform should be "Hang 'em first and high, then release the facts.

This post has also ben deleted as of 8 p.m. Oct. 6, with no statement or response.

A third visitor,  Tracy Frank added this:

Heads up Tucson peeps: vote for Raul M. Grijalva...we cannot allow Gabriela Saucedo Mercer to get one step closer to Washington. Her funding is already drying up, kinda like her career, because other Republicans are already onto her BS. While I am known to fight for a woman candidate - we need more of 'em in DC! - I wouldn't vote for this woman to be my county dog catcher. She lies like she took a class for it in college...remember that when you hit the polls on Nov. 6th.

By 5:30 pm Oct 7 this post was removed. No response from Mercer.

In a press release dated Oct 5, Arizona radio host Carlos Galindo and Immigrant Advocacy Foundation spokesperson said, "Gabriela Saucedo Mercer's comments are offensive to the immigrant community and create further resentment already festering against immigrants in a very polarized Arizona."

Candidate Mercer has not responded to requests for a statement, but she did post this late Sunday:

Gabriela Saucedo Mercer 5 hours ago I am not sure if this is the official report on the death of Border Patrol agent Nicholas Ivie. http://azstarnet.com/news/local/union-border-agent-who-died-opened-fire-first-on-other/article_cd7aab3a-10ce-11e2-b1ae-0019bb2963f4.html

Mercer Attack Video Lacks Teeth, Production Values

Paid for by something called the "Republican Majority Campaign," Gabriela Saucedo Mercer launched a new attack on Raul Grijalva Oct 3 with a new YouTube video featuring Grijalva's call for boycott in 2010.

Much akin to the Tea Party's recent aim at President Obama, in which they unveiled a video that has been available online for 5 years and ended up teaching us nothing new, this "attack" vid merely intersperses tea party rhetoric between snippets of Grijalva's call for boycott in 2010 with some real bad music. Same Tea Party strategy - nothing new, not a game changer, and clearly very low budget.

The PAC also posted a video in support of Sharon Angle which is equally unimpressive.

We covered the backlash to SB 1070 in depth here but just to recap, the response to the poorly written, one sided and dangerously xenophobic bill was nationally universal in 2010. Even Major League Baseball threatened to boycott Arizona but was one of the few entities not to. Grijalva's call was a mirror of the country's rage at Arizona, and he had had success with boycotts in the past.

Grijalva was representing his constituents by adding to the pressure already on the state legislature to turn away from their ill advised effort to deal with the serious border problem posed by the federal government, and it would have happened anyway. To suggest that he was soley responsible is simply ludicrous. Grijalva has been critical of the Administration's border policies, and rated president Obama with a "D"on the matter.

Never the less, Republicans have little else to throw at Grijalva outside of criticizing his weight or his appearance or to fabricate that a 5 term representative "is more radical than Obama," and has done nothing in his career, an argument that fails to explain how he got reelected 5 times. Also, in this race the Republicans aren't spending any money, and one look at this hit piece makes that clear. Despite their best efforts, the congressman has been labeled "unbeatable" so the Tea Party has nothing to lose and appears willing to try anything.

The video ends with a picture of Saucedo Merecer; They must have figured she has said enough already.

Herman Cain Stumps For Mercer

Herman Cain, former Republican presidential candidate who cancelled his bid after a flurry of stories of romantic improprieties, sexual harassment and assault, stopped by the Viscount Suite Hotel in Tuscon to stump for Gabriela Saucedo Mercer today.

Mercer is fighting an uphill battle for AZ CD3 against incumbent Raul Grijalva. She's behind in the polls, in funding and endorsements but will face her opponents in open debate Oct 9 at 6 pm at the Pima Community College west Campus, 2202 W. Anklam Road. Cain is traveling on his "College Truth Tour", a reach out to "faith-based and community leaders as well as college students across the country", according to the website, with his partner on the project, Home Depot co-founder Bernie Marcus. 

It is unclear at this time if he is helping add to Mercer's wanting campaign purse, but it is possible. Cain is free to use his substantial remaining presidential campaign funds "with few restrictions" according to Huff Post, and indicated his intention to play a role as a political figure and announced the launch of TheCainSolutions.com during his suspension announcement.

Cain also held a free business lunch at the Marriott Hotel for “anyone who can demonstrate that they are responsible for paychecks other than their own,” according to the Arizona Daily Indepenent which went on to post this quote:

“Bernie Marcus and I both know first-hand how important it is to have the facts when making business decisions,” Cain said. “We also know it is just as important for Americans to have the facts when making decisions that will impact our communities, businesses and our nation. This is why I’m proud to join forces with Bernie for The Truth Tour.”

Some may remember Cain's famous campaign flub "I don't have the facts to back this up ..."

From Cain's Website

The ADI quoted Mercer saying:

Saucedo Mercer praised Cain’s 9-9-9- Plan, saying it “injected the much needed discussion of tax code reform into the Republican Presidential race. Mr. Cain’s bold policy plan addresses the monstrous IRS code in a creative way.” Cain mentions Saucedo Mercer every chance he gets according to his followers.