Samuel Steiger (March 10, 1929September 26, 2012) was an American politician, journalist, political pundit. He served five terms as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives, two terms in the Arizona State Senate, and one term as mayor of Prescott, Arizona. Steiger also made an unsuccessful run for the U.S. Senate, served as a special assistant to Arizona Governor Evan Mecham, and hosted political talk shows on both radio and television. Despite these accomplishments, Steiger is best known for two incidents: The first, while he was a sitting Congressman, was the 1975 killing of two burros. The second was painting a crosswalk between Prescott's courthouse and nearby Whiskey Row.
Early life
Steiger was born March 10, 1929, in New York City to Lewis and Rebecca (Klein) Steiger. He was educated in local schools before attending college. His first trip to Arizona occurred at age 14 when he visited a dude ranch. Steiger attended Cornell University before graduating in 1950 with a Bachelor of Science from Colorado A&M.
Following college, Steiger was commissioned into the United States Army. Serving during the Korean War as a tank platoon leader, he was awarded the Purple Heart for his actions. After leaving the army, Steiger settled in Prescott, Arizona.
Steiger married his first wife, Cynthia Jean Gardner, in 1954. The couple had three children: twins Lewis and Gail in April 1956, followed by Delia Rebecca in May 1959. His first marriage would end in divorce, as would Steiger's marriage to his second wife, Lynda, in January 1979.
Legislative career
In 1959, Steiger entered politics on a wager. While working as a ranch hand in Springerville, he and several friends observed that Yavapai County had never elected a Republican representative. Steiger theorized that this was because the right Republican had not yet run for office. His friends challenged him to run for office and in 1960 Steiger was elected to the Arizona State Senate. While a freshman senator he wrote a column claiming that other members of the legislature had sold their votes for money and challenged senate leaders over perceived backroom deals. Steiger also likened himself to a tiger and used a black and orange motif on his campaign signs.
After two terms in the statehouse, in 1964, Steiger ran against incumbent George F. Senner, Jr. for Arizona's 3rd district seat in the U.S. House of Representatives. He was endorsed by all the newspapers within the district, with the Arizona Republic saying "Sam is independent, friendly, quick-witted, very out-spoken, crazy over horses, and wears an infectious smile". Despite these endorsements, Steiger lost a close election. He then served as a correspondent on the Vietnam War before making a second run for the congressional seat in 1966. Benefiting from a mid-decade reapportionment which pushed the district into a heavily Republican section of Maricopa County, near Phoenix, as well as Democratic voters defecting to other party candidates, Steiger defeated Senner on his second attempt.
As a congressman, Steiger continued his outspoken ways. During his first term he delivered a speech from the floor of the House claiming it is "an irrefutable fact of life that the elected official is regarded by those who elect him as capable of the most flagrant dishonor," and calling for a "code of ethics" which included "full disclosure of assets, liabilities, honorariums, etc., by members, their spouses, and staff members." Steiger would later claim a number of his colleagues were frequently drunk and that "there are members of Congress you wouldn't hire to wheel a wheelbarrow." As a result of these comments, Interior Secretary Stewart Udall, previously an Arizona congressman himself, labeled Steiger as "a bomb thrower".
Steiger's voting record in the House was staunchly conservative, earning him, in 1974, a zero rating Americans for Democratic Action and a 100% rating from Americans for Constitutional Action. Additionally, the congressman won a Distinguished Service Award from Americans for Constitutional Action for his "devotion to those fundamental principles of good government which serve to promote individual rights and responsibilities, a sound dollar, a growing economy, and a desire for victory over communist aggression." His opposition to legislation favored by conservationists earned him membership to the League of Conservation Voters's "Dirty Dozen" list. These efforts included Steiger's opposition to controls on strip mining and support of coal companies.