Month: August 2014

Political Calendar: Week of August 17, 2014

by

The Political Calendar is posted on Sundays. Please send us notice of your political events prior to the Sunday before your event (7 days would be most helpful). See the calendar icon in the right-hand column of the blog page for easy access to the calendar.

It’s time for “Take Ten” again. Take ten of your family members, neighbors, coworkers and friends to vote early, or to the polls on election day for the primary election. It’s the power of ten.

The Citizens Clean Elections Commission debates are available online. View Replay of Candidate Debates Online.

Note: For Event Notices and Fliers, click on the “Calendar” button in the menu options above.

Progressive_values

Political Calendar for the Week of August 17, 2014:

Sunday, August 17, 8:00 a.m.: A conversation with Rep. Victoria Steele, at Big Mo’s Coffee Emporium, 3230 N. Dodge Blvd.(in Metal Arts Village behind OK Corral Feed Store) in Tucson. Come share your concerns, questions and ideas for improving Legislative District 9 and all of Arizona for the sake of our future and that of our children. For more information contact Karen McGarrity at (520) 307-4003.

LD 9 Wine & Relaxation

Sunday, August 17, 2:00 p.m.: LD 9 Wine & Relaxation, at the Bear Tracks Winery, 4743 E. Sunrise Drive (Tucson). Before we start dedicating every weekend to knocking doors and making phone calls for our favorite candidate let’s all take one Sunday afternoon to kick back, relax and enjoy a glass or two of wine and some savory noshing. LD 9 is proud to partner with neighborhood tasting room Bear Tracks Winery for our inaugural Wine & Relaxation event. Cost is $21. Purchase tickets at https://secure.actblue.com/contribute/page/ld9wine. For more information please call (520) 609-7641.

DORR’s BYOB Sunday Summer Wine & Cheese Bash

Sunday, August 17, 6:00 p.m.: Democrats of the Red Rocks BYOB Sunday Summer Wine & Cheese Bash, at the DORR’s office, corner of Soldier Pass road and Rte. 89A (next to Judi’s restaurant) in Sedona. DORR will provide drinks and snacks, but bring a cool drink and snack to share if you wish. Candidates for Sedona City Council will be there. For more information visit our web site democratsoftheredrocks.org or call (928) 872-7754.

Monday, August 18, Noon: Democrats of Greater Tucson luncheon, Dragon’s View Restaurant (400 N. Bonita, South of St. Mary’s Road between the Freeway and Grande Avenue, turn South at Furr’s Cafeteria), buffet lunch costs $8.50. Featured speakers are Rep. Bruce Wheeler (LD 10) and Jo Holt, candidate for Senate (LD 11). Next Week: Andrew Morrill, President of Arizona Education Association on “the role of the school board – success and failures in Arizona.”

Read more

Former state legislator Sylvia Allen angling for a return to the lege

by

By Craig McDermott, cross-posted from Random Musings

…And here I was, thinking that Arizona’s Republicans were implacably opposed to recycling… 🙂

From the Arizona Daily Sun, written by Suzanne Adams-Ockrassa –

Navajo County Supervisor Sylvia Allen might find herself back in the Arizona Senate before the end of the year.

And if she does, it would be under eerily similar circumstances to her first stint in the Legislature.

According to the Arizona Capitol Times, Allen announced she wanted to be the designated Republican nominee for Sen. Chester Crandell’s seat in the Nov. 4 general election.

{snip}

Allen has plenty of experience working with the Arizona Senate. According to the Arizona Republic, she was appointed to the Senate in June 2008 to fill the remainder of Sen. Jake Flake’s term.

Flake died from a heart attack after falling off his horse. Flake was also running for re-election unopposed.

Allen then ran for the District 5 Senate seat in 2008 and won. She served in the Senate until 2012, when she ran for and was elected to the Navajo County Board of Supervisors.

Crandell died on August 4 as a result of a fall from a horse.

As a sitting elected official who has more than one year remaining in her term of office, Arizona’s much-ignored resign to run law would apply here, assuming that she becomes to GOP nominee for the seat.

Read more

Choice of 2 Democrats for AZ Superintendent of Public Instruction

by

Two Democrats Dr.David Garcia and Sharon Thomas  are running in the Arizona primary (August 26) for Arizona Superintendent of Public Instruction.  The winner of this race will face of the winner of the Republican primary between incumbent John Huppenthal and Diane Douglas.

In case you haven’t cast your early ballot and prefer to vote later, or on election day, there’s still time to consider the 2 candidates on the Democratic ticket:

Dr. David Garcia, Associate Professor in the Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College at Arizona State University.  Bio from Citizens Clean Elections Commission Voter guide:

Party:  Democrat     Campaign Funding:  Traditional     Web:  www.dg4az.com

As a 4th-generation Arizonan, public school parent and ASU professor, I know our schools,  students and state are not falling behind because of a lack of talent. We are racing to the  bottom because of a lack of vision and expertise at the top. Arizona’s public schools have been  struggling under the weight of increased demands and drastic funding cuts. We face an  alarming achievement gap, an overreliance on test scores over commonsense instruction, and a  lack of leadership from the state superintendent. I’ve devoted my career to improving our public  schools. I’ve been an education policy analyst, research director and Associate State  Superintendent for Standards and Accountability. I have the expertise and ideas that will  strengthen our public schools. As a professor, I’ve trained hundreds of Arizona’s educators. I  know what our teachers need to be successful in the classroom, and I am proud to have the endorsement of the Arizona Education Association and party leaders such as Fred DuVal. Our schools are not better off than they were four years ago, and we can’t afford more of the same. End the status quo. Vote for strong schools and a  stronger Arizona. Vote David Garcia!

Read more

Terry Goddard’s first TV ad

by

Democratic candidate for Secretary of State Terry Goddard has released his first television ad. In an email announcement Goddard writes:

goddardI’m very pleased to let you know that our first TV ad starts running statewide tonight.

It is focused on how I plan as Secretary of State to go after Dark Money the same way I went after money launderers for the cartels when I was your Attorney General.

I need your help getting my message out to voters that I am committed to end Dark Money and take the politics out of the Secretary of State’s office.

Please take a moment to watch the ad [below] and share it by forwarding this email to your friends and family or posting on your social media. I also hope you will sign and share my petition to stop Dark Money.

Read more