Catherine Ripley, Running for LD10 State House, Vows to Tackle Water, Healthcare & Environment

AZ House Candidate Catherine slammed incumbent Clodfelter for his "harmful, hurtful and horrific" display of the Confederate flag.
AZ House Candidate Catherine slammed incumbent Clodfelter for his “harmful, hurtful and horrific” display of the Confederate flag.

Arizona state House candidate Catherine Ripley vowed to bring her military and diplomatic experience to the Legislature, focusing on the state’s looming water shortage, and promoting renewable energy.

A Democrat, she is in the crowded field running for AZ House in Legislative District 10 on the north and east sides of Tucson.

She spoke at the recent Democrats of Greater Tucson meeting, and said she would call on her 26 years’ of experience as a naval officer, including tours in anti-submarine warfare during the Cold War and at Special Operations Command fighting the war on terror.

She is also a former US diplomat, serving in embassies in Madagascar, Africa, and The Hague, where she worked on national security issues after the 9-11 attack.

“The state Legislature needs more people with a wider spectrum of background and education to make a difference in Phoenix, and to speak for people who can’t speak for themselves,” she said.

Opponent flaunts Confederate flag

Incumbent Republican Todd “Confederate” Clodfelter is notorious for displaying his Confederate flag screen saver and flaunting a Confederate flag bow tie on the floor of the Legislature.

“It’s offensive, it’s a symbol that’s harmful and hurtful and horrific,” Ripley says. “He is knowingly flaunting it, even after African-American legislators asked him kindly not to have it on his laptop. The deep-rooted racism was the reason for the Civil War. I don’t understand anyone voting for him in this election.”

Arizona Legislative District 10
Arizona Legislative District 10

LD10 has two seats in the AZ House. State Rep. Kirsten Engel (D) is running for re-election and Domingo DeGrazia (D) and Nikki Lee (D) have also mounted campaigns. See Democratic Candidates for LD10 House Shine in Drive to Oust Clodfelter.

She currently teaches Political Science and the U.S. Constitution as an adjunct professor at Pima Community College, where she was inspired to run. “I had this ache, disillusionment, and near despair that many of us have had over last 1 ½ years. This is why I’m running, that ache has turned into hope, excitement, and fire.”

“We need to get motivated and get activated. Doing nothing is not acceptable. We are in crisis mode right now,” she says. “We in Arizona are living in a Republican trifecta — and it will not change if we continue idly, or yell at the radio and TV, or cry in the car and be upset.”

She revealed that she is half Japanese (mother) and half Irish-Italian (father), stands 5-foot-2 and is age 58. “It was Christianity meets Buddhism, or noodles and rice in one bowl,” she quipped.

Water and poverty

A top issue is keeping Arizona supplied with water. “I know what needs to be done about the drought that is happening and the lack of water in the Colorado River. We’re in crisis mode, and there’s no time for pontification, it’s a time for activation,” she says.

“We are in Arizona and there is poverty, there are 12,000 homeless people just in Tucson, and issues in civil rights and human rights that we sadly still have to fight for. The mismanagement and corruption of government are happening right under our noses — right in Phoenix,” she says.

She will also promote renewable energy. “I believe that first and foremost we need to support electing Democrats to the Arizona Corporation Commission. We need to get Bill Mundell, Sandra Kennedy and Kiana Sears elected – to create some balance.” See This Obscure Agency Crushed Solar Power in Arizona

“Arizona should be the solar capital of the country,” she says. “We can fight against those who make it difficult to put solar panels on their homes.”

She plans a major fundraiser at 8 pm on July 14 at the Jewish Community Center. Her sister who is a Broadway actress will appear.

For more information visit www.ripleyforarizona.com.

15 thoughts on “Catherine Ripley, Running for LD10 State House, Vows to Tackle Water, Healthcare & Environment”

  1. 46% of state prisoners are NON-violent, NOT the 95% Sen. Kavanagh is stating are violent he said was from an AZ Dept. of Corrections report paid for by the Arizona Prosecutors Assoc. Where’s the outside independent audit?

    Until Arizona addresses its failed criminal justice system and the mass incarceration of its people, nothing else will happen.

  2. WAKE UP FOLKS! “How for-profit prisons have become the biggest lobby no one is talking about” – The Washington Post https://wapo.st/2LlEemp

    “Several industries have become notorious for the millions they spend on influencing legislation and getting friendly candidates into office: Big Oil, Big Pharma and the gun lobby among them. But one has managed to quickly build influence with comparatively little scrutiny: Private prisons. The two largest for-profit prison companies in the United States – GEOand Corrections Corporation of America – and their associates have funneled more than $10 million to candidates since 1989 and have spent nearly $25 million on lobbying efforts. Meanwhile, these private companies have seen their revenue and market share soar. They now rake in a combined $3.3 billion in annual revenue and the private federal prison population more than doubled between 2000 and 2010, according to a report by the Justice Policy Institute. Private companies house nearly half of the nation’s immigrant detainees, compared to about 25 percent a decade ago, a Huffington Post report found. In total, there are now about 130 private prisons in the country with about 157,000 beds.

    Marco Rubio is one of the best examples of the private prison industry’s growing political influence, a connection that deserves far more attention now that he’s officially launched a presidential bid. The U.S. senator has a history of close ties to the nation’s second-largest for-profit prison company, GEO Group, stretching back to his days as speaker of the Florida House of Representatives.” …

  3. First, the prosecutors used Arizona Department of Corrections data.

    Second, the latest Corrections Department data show that 74% of the inmates are violent. Go to: https://corrections.az.gov/sites/default/files/REPORTS/CAG/2018/cagapr18.pdf

    Once again, 95% are violent offenders, recidivists or both. Who do you want to let loose early?

    And as an afterthought, some first time non-violent offenders deserve long prison time, like the investment advisor who steals an elderly couple’s retirement funds.

    • Sen. Kavanagh, You didn’t give the date of the report, so I assume it’s the one where Arizona Department of Corrections “reclassified” all the inmates and came up with 97& violent. We all know that is a lie or very misleading. The report was paid for by the Arizona Proseutors’ Assoc. So the whole think lacks credibility. Besides we know the prisons are incentivized to get MORE $$$’s for “violent” inmates. Arizona has turned misdemeanors into felonies = more $$$$’s for the criminal justice system and its profiteers in human misery. It’s time to end this scam on the taxpayers and people warehoused in the “system”. Cert

  4. Not sure what value cold war anti-submarine warfare experience has at the capitol. Any ideas?

    • So you’re saying military service to your country is not a good thing?

      I keep telling you this, you need to think things through before you post. Everyone can read these things.

      Wait, never mind, I just remembered you’re a supporter of President Bone Spurs. Draft dodgers are your heroes.

      You’re on brand, carry on.

      • You need to re-read my post. I suggest that you take a critical reading course at one of the community colleges.

        • What did I miss? You said “Not sure what value cold war anti-submarine warfare experience has at the capitol. Any ideas?”

          You are literally asking what value 16 years experience in the military has to public service.

          She has an impressive resume, and it includes military service, just as yours includes not being a lawyer.

          You can’t weasel out of this one, John, you are showing disrespect for a veteran, and disrespecting her service.

          Every time I think the GOP has fallen as low as it can go, you people find a sewer hole to open and dive deeper into the muck.

          You should apologize to vets.

          • Focus on precisely what I said. It was not military service. That is the last free critical reading instruction I will give you.

          • She has “26 years’ of experience as a naval officer”, that is military service, and your disdain for veterans is clear.

            I suggest you re-read what you wrote, you had a chance to explain your comment and apologize to vets.

            Your disdain for the military is clear.

  5. Missing: reform Arizona’s broken and failed criminal justice system that has turned Arizona into a “prison/police” state, ranking at the bottom of the nation in the recent Harvard report. Where’s this dialog? This is a crisis wasting hundreds of millions of taxpayers $$$’s and destroying innocent lives and families. Sweeping it under the rug has serious collateral consequences.

    • When I last looked, 95% of Arizona inmates were either violent offenders, repeat offenders or both. Which of them do you want to release?

      • Mr. Kavanagh, the report that shows 95% was one paid for by the Arizona Prosecutors Assoc. who “live” full time in the state legislature on the taxpayers’ dime, while fighting against the people/taxpayers who have been demanding meaningful reform for over a decade. At least 45% of the inmates are non-violent and you know it. The state legislators are “owned” by the For-profit prison lobbyists and you know that as well. An outside independent audit is needed!

        Arizona is known as a “prison/police” state. When will the legislators, led by you, evolve into the 21st century — smart on crime — and save hundreds of millions of wasted tax dollars with Arizona failed and broken criminal justice system?

        Those on the Judiciary are not even lawyers and creating the laws put in their ears by the DA/County Attorneys. The people can only speak for two minutes while the prosecutors give closing arguments with NO time restrictions.

        • See above for my reply. I hit the wrong key. I do his often, so I am a recidivist also.

        • Today with the pardoning of a woman Kim Kardashian visited the President about, we are hearing that 46% of state prisoners were charged with NON-violent crimes. So the report you seem to be quoting from was paid for by the AZ Prosecutors Assoc. is biased and lacks credibility by anyone informed on the failed criminal justice system where prosecutors have “grown” the prison population. Note: the prosecutors control the state legislature and bully the citizen/taxpayer/voter who dares to speak out for meaningful reform that would save lives, families and hundreds of millions of scarce taxpayers’ $$$’s Get the money for education from the Corrections bloated budget!

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