Arizona debate culmination of hard work, luck

For those behind Arizona's Republican presidential debate, Wednesday is the culmination of a lot of hard work and some luck.

When Arizona Republican Party Chair Tom Morrisey agreed to move the debate from November to February, he knew it was a risk. But this jumbled GOP race has made Wednesday as important as ever.

"I really feel God is watching over us," said Morrisey. "What's happened now, I think, is we're two or three times better now than we would have been in November."

The debate was a quid pro quo -- an Republican National Campaign promise to Jan Brewer after she agreed not to move up the state's primary.

"We have some specific issues that we would like to see addressed here in Arizona and we would like them to come out and talk to us directly," said Brewer.

Border security, the housing crisis and other key issues have thrust Arizona into the center of the national debate on immigration.