Roving Ranger

Matt Heistand Arizona Daily Wildcat US senatorial candidate and UA alumnus Ed Ranger is interviewed inside his campaign bus while cruising around campus yesterday afternoon. Ranger's campaign is centered around educational reform at all levels, including universities.

Riding around Arizona in his brightly painted, oversized bus with his brother Steve manning the steering wheel, Ranger would rather operate from a public transit vehicle than a stretch limo.

"It's pretty sad if I'm not typical," Ranger, a Democrat, said yesterday during a visit to the University of Arizona. "You shouldn't run a campaign from your office in Wash., D.C."

Sporting a nondescript white shirt and slacks, Ranger didn't break a sweat as he flailed his arms, directing the bus out of a tight spot near the Harvill Building.

"We have youth, energy and enthusiasm," the 38-year old Ranger said of his campaign, while occasionally peering out the bus windows. "We're running a good, old-fashioned, grass-roots, traditional, campaign."

Ranger said he won't sit around and let television advertising do all the work - he's promoting his campaign in person.

He calls it "barnstorming," and the storm is moving all over Arizona, as Ranger works to defeat longtime Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.)

Yesterday, Ranger visited Sierra Vista, the Tucson City Council, a local radio talk show, and the UA -his alma mater.

Ranger majored in Spanish and English when he attended the UA and lived in Yavapai Residence Hall. He was quick to point out that it was not an honors dorm during his term.

Ranger said education is his No. 1 issue, and said he wonders why Arizona is falling below average in its standards.

"Why are we in the basement nationwide in a number of educational test results?" he asked. "We should be leading the country, not trailing it."

Ranger said he wants to implement a comprehensive education plan, including additional funding and supplements for schools, along with an increase in the number of teachers.

Ranger, an environmental lawyer and native Arizonan, said he and his four siblings all graduated from Arizona state schools.

"My family is an American success story based on education," he said. "I am a living, breathing, walking example of the correlation between education and opportunity."

Ranger also said he wants to improve the university financial aid system.

"I want student loan programs to be more student friendly," he said. "We have to reduce the costs in student loans. There's no point in making money off of students."

Ranger said if he gets elected, he wants to sit down with students, faculty, staff and administrators of the state universities and ask them for ideas on improving the schools.

Some of the other issues on his campaign agenda include:

Protecting health and environment. He said environment and economy are closely related.

Matt Heistand Arizona Daily Wildcat Ed Ranger's campaign bus is parked behind the Memorial Student Union yesterday afternoon. The bus's lettering was hand-painted by Ranger and some of his family. Ranger will be back in town with his bad-ass bus for the next home football game Oct. 10.

"I believe that economic growth goes hand-in-hand with environmental protection," Ranger said.

Banning guns around schools. Ranger said children should not be exercising Second Amendment rights.

"I think the state should oversee (gun) ownership, just like they do with car registration," he said.

More resources for law enforcement, including dropping the legal blood-alcohol level. But Ranger was quick to say that he's not advocating alcohol-free campuses at the three state universities.

"I think we're all adults," he said. "I think we need to have more faith in our young people."

Ranger's brother Steve said yesterday that tuna fish sandwiches and peanut butter and jellies keep him going during interstate drives to various campaign spots.

"He's my brother and he's my best friend," Steve said. "I can't think of anyone who I would do this for if it weren't for Ed."

Steve and Ed finished their UA visit by reflecting on their father, who died about two weeks ago at the age of 68. Some of his ashes have a special place in a container on their dashboard.

"We're going to continue with more energy because that's the way he would have wanted it," Ed Ranger said.

"He's our honorary co-pilot," Steve Ranger said.

David J. Cieslak can be reached via e-mail at David.J.Cieslak@wildcat.arizona.edu.