Slade Mead
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Slade Mead is a former Arizona State Senator and is Republican turned Democrat who was challenging Tom Horne to be the next Arizona Superintendent of Public Instruction, which is the head of the state's education department.
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[edit] Family life
Mead was born on September 6, 1961 in Torrington, Connecticut. Both of his parents were teachers, and later on his two siblings would become teachers as well. He studied at Yale University, and, for a year in between his undergraduate and law school education, taught high school as well.
In 1996, he and his wife, Alison, moved to Arizona with their two children, Lindsay and Sierra, from Virginia. His eldest daughter, Lindsay, is a special needs child with a rare form of epilepsy, a severe seizure disorder. It is his daughter that eventually drove Slade into the political arena.
[edit] Early political career
As a result of his daughter's disorder, Slade became involved in her school, which then evolved into a seat on his local site council and finally a seat on the Kyrene School Board. While on the Kyrene School Board, Mead became "frustrated and dismayed" by the state's funding of their public schools. He then became frustrated with his State Senator, Lori Daniels, who seemed "indifferent to the situation". He decided to run against her.
[edit] State Senate career
Mead managed to defeat Daniels in the Republican primary, and took her senate seat for District 20. He was Vice-Chairman of the Education Committee, and sat on the Appropriations and Government Committees as well.
In 2003, A fight ensued over the GOP's proposed budget. Mead eventually sided with the Democrats, citing a lack of funding for Public education. This event resulted in Mead's exile from the party, and in 2004 State Representative John Huppenthal challenged him in the primary. After a bitterly fought campaign, Mead lost.
[edit] Run for Superintendent
After his primary defeat, Mead was contacted by Governor Janet Napolitano and his then-senate colleague, the now-Democratic Chairman, Harry Mitchell to switch parties. His campaign for Superintendent began there, but he was defeated in the September 12th primary by Teach for America's Jason Williams in an upset. His political future is uncertain.
