Biography: Russell Keith Pearce was an American politician who was a Republican member of the Arizona State Senate. He rose to national prominence as the primary sponsor of Arizona SB1070, a controversial anti-illegal immigrant measure that was signed into law in 2010. He was elected President of the Arizona Senate when the Senate began its January 2011 term but was ousted in a November 2011 recall election, the first legislator in Arizona history to be so removed from office.