RANDY PULLEN AND LISA JAMES

Today’s election for the next leader of the Arizona Republican Party is a repeat of two years ago, as the state convention will again features Valley residents Randy Pullen and Lisa James as the contenders. And just as two years ago, the match-up is widely viewed as a showdown between supporters of Sen. John McCain (which James more or less represents) and the rather strong anti-McCain crowd (of which Pullen used to be a prominent leader).

Pullen narrowly won the internal election for state Republican chairman in 2006 and then publicly tangled with McCain (and fellow Arizona Sen. Jon Kyl) over immigration reform. That led to fund raising for the state party to dry up substantially, forcing Pullen to make some peace overtures to McCain and his supporters. Pullen’s efforts to make nice got more frantic after McCain became the Republican nominee for president early in 2008.

But it wasn’t enough to keep Pullen from again facing James, whom he defeated by only four votes in 2006. As the official insider, Pullen can pull on a lot of the state party machinery for support such as endorsements from various county and legislative district chairmen.

On the other hand, James has attracted endorsements from a number of elected officials including Senate President Bob Burns, House Speaker Kirk Adams, state Treasurer Dean Martin and incoming Secretary of State Ken Bennett.

James’ supporters saw new hope for an upset when Rob Haney, one of the best known McCain critics inside Republican meeting rooms, was denied the opportunity to keep his longtime post as chairman of legislative District 11 — Pullen’s home district. But Haney went out and got elected chairman of the Maricopa County Republican committee instead, a sign that the anti-McCain crowd isn’t ready to give way.

What’s really odd about today’s election at Phoenix’s Camelback High School is such contests for statewide leadership usually follow bad election nights for a political party. But Arizona Republicans fared pretty well in November, despite the state party’s lack of campaign funds.

It was Arizona Democrats who failed badly to meet their own expectations (and the predictions of many Republican insiders). But Ann Womack was uncontested when she was elected Maricopa County Democratic Party chairwoman in December, and current state chairman Don Bivens will face no opponent when his party gathers for its own convention today at the Wyndam Hotel in downtown Phoenix.