Pederson finds momentum in Senate race
2006-10-18
Source: The Arizona Republic
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rss feedJim Pederson should have a lot on his mind as his rented version of the Straight-Talk Express rolls through the pines of northern Arizona.
He is running from behind against incumbent Republican U.S. Sen. Jon Kyl. He has spent more than $8 million from his own pocket on the race. And the election is now just a few weeks away.
But as the 30-foot RV rolls into Sedona, the sight of the majestic red rock formations instead trigger a distant memory, one Pederson finds both humbling and inspiring.
"I tried to build my first shopping center here and fell flat on my face," Pederson says. "I had to get a job and go back to work."
In the mid-1970s, the wannabe developer optioned some land in Sedona and went in search of tenants, but he failed to nail down the financing to get the project off the ground. His activity did, however, increase the value of the land, and he had to watch helplessly as the owner sold it out from under him.
Pederson didn't quit. Six years later, he came back smarter, better prepared and built his first real shopping center in Phoenix. It was a success, and he has been in the game ever since. In overcoming that false start to build a successful business, Pederson sees a metaphor for his Senate campaign.
Yes, he is on his third set of campaign inner-circle advisers, but he says his current team of young bare-knuckle go-getters was worth the wait. The first time he rolled through Sedona and Prescott last spring to campaign, only about five people showed up at either stop.
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