Tongue-twisting name, young age challenge Dem candidates

All those "Phil Who?" signs going up across Chandler had even District 21 House candidate Phil Hettmansperger puzzled.

That was, until Hettmansperger found out they were about him.

The Democrat is seeking one of two seats held by Republican incumbents Steve Yarbrough and Warde Nichols. The signs are the work of the Arizona Democratic Party but Hettmansperger said he didn't know about them until he started getting phone calls.

Many came from supporters who thought the quirky signs were part of a negative campaign, he said. Then Hettmansperger received an automated call from his own party that encouraged people to vote for the guy with the long, tongue-tripping last name.

Emily DeRose, spokeswoman for the Arizona Democratic Party, said the signs were an independent effort by the party, which would have violated campaign finance laws had it coordinated the plan with Hettmansperger.

"It's pretty clear he has one of the most tongue-twisting last names in Arizona political history," she said.

Another Chandler contender, Ed Hermes, faces more than a name-recognition challenge. Hermes, a 24-year-old Democrat, is pitted against 57-year-old incumbent Republican Fulton Brock for the District 1 Maricopa County supervisor's seat, in one of the most contentious races involving Chandler voters. Brock's campaign recently produced a mailer ridiculing his opponent with a not-so-recent picture and a litany of his challenger's alleged youthful behaviors.

Jason Rose, Brock's campaign consultant, said the photo came from a 2005 Arizona State University Web page that pictured Hermes as a student member of the Board of Regents.

The mailer lists accusations that Hermes said are false and misleading, including "five run-ins with the law" and "still living at his parents' house." It says Hermes "starred in a 'panty raid realty show,' and is a skilled player of the video game Halo."

Hermes said he wrote a letter to Brock disputing the mailer's contents. "I am personally affronted by your portrayal of my character," he wrote.

Hermes said he doesn't live with his parents, although county property records show his parents own the residence. Brock's reference to unpaid traffic tickets and missed court appearances are false and Hermes said he can prove it. Some were for photo-radar tickets that were mailed to the wrong address and have since been dismissed, he said.

Rose said the mailer's information is accurate, came from public records and show that Hermes lacks the experience and judgment to hold office. "It's a question of maturity," Rose said. "How can a person who has never owned a business or run a business or even had a mortgage be qualified to manage a $2.3 billion county budget?"

The television appearances indicate a lack of judgment, Rose said. "With all due respect, we don't think the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors should be his next (television show) set."

Hermes said he appeared on the MTV show Room Raider in 2006 but that his role was tame. The show lets contestants decide who to date based on the contents of their bedroom." I was called 'churchy boy' by the other two male contestants due to the mundane nature of my room and comments," he said.

A former student member of the Arizona Board of Regents, spokesman for the Arizona Department of Agriculture and member of the Governor's Smart Growth Cabinet, Hermes said experience in those positions qualifies him to be a county supervisor. The challenger said Brock has misled voters with exaggerated tales of his accomplishments and the county's financial status.

All those "Phil Who?" signs going up across Chandler had even District 21 House candidate Phil Hettmansperger (right) puzzled. That was, until Hettmansperger found out they were about him.