Best local politician
In the past months he's been repeatedly scorned as a flip-flopper and accused of being too long-winded and looking too rigid and robotic, but as the presidential campaign evolved, our stentorian hometown senator, John Kerry, proved to the country that if anyone was going to take on the incumbent, it was he. Now we'll never know what he could have done abroad or on domestic issues or for the United States' international reputation, but we do know that his 20-year Senate record is defined by some pretty impressive accomplishments, especially for the working class, of which helping to increase the minimum wage and ensuring child tax credits are not the least. His mug has become a fixture on the front pages of the dailies, and the past months have confirmed him as a fighter as fierce as Joe Frazier. But Kerry always demonstrated a palpable concern for the welfare of average Americans, and his noble and gracious concession speech on November 3 revealed a genuine gentleman. In the eyes of Phoenix readers, John Kerry will forever be the king of Beacon Hill.