Democrats are shocked and saddened about the death of Richard Elias, Chairman of the Pima County Supervisors (shown above with PCDP Executive Director, Cat Ripley). He was an effective leader, a progressive Democrat and a good-natured man who made friends easily.
He died at home on Saturday, March 28, 2020.
He is sorely missed. Richard was a frequent speaker at meetings of Democrats of Greater Tucson. You can listen to his last talk at DGT on February 10, 2020, on the DGT Podcast.
Arizona Democratic Party Chair Felecia Rotellini said, “”I am crushed by the passing of Pima County Board Supervisor Richard Elias. The Arizona Democratic Party and the people of Arizona and, especially, Pima County have lost a vibrant leader and loyal public servant today. I will forever appreciate Richard’s friendship, quick wit, inspirational speeches and his support over the years. He was a tireless advocate for working families, our most vulnerable and social justice.”
Richard, we love you, we thank you, and we will miss you,” she added.
Congressman Raul Grijalva said, “My family and I were stunned and saddened by the sudden death of our dear brother, Richard Elias. Frustrated by the distance this crisis demands and unable to personally comfort Emily, Luz and the Elias family, we are left with the overwhelming sadness that so many of us who loved and worked with Richard can’t gather together to honor and respect our friend.”
“I want to say about my friend, as directly as I can: Richard Elias gave a shit. He cared about regular folks and the issues that mattered to them. He led with his heart and used his mind and body to consistently fight for the right thing for people. The loss of a thinker and advocate like him will be sorely missed in our community.”
Longtime friend Molly McKasson said, ” I’ve been fortunate to work with Richard on background checks at Pima County gun shows. While he abhorred the terrible statistics on gun violence, what made him a leader was his conscience. He knew we had to do something to right this negative and dangerous situation, and he had the courage to stand up and fight for what he thought was in the community’s best interest. He tried not to make that fight about people on “the other side”—an all-too-popular and destructive default for politicians these days—but to stay focused on the common good, the best in us
all. His death leaves not just a gaping hole in our community, but a rich legacy of care and honesty upon which to build for the future.”
The Pima County Republican Party said, “The Pima County Republican Party wishes to extend our deepest condolences to the family and friends of Supervisor Richard Elias. In the hyperpolarized political climate we find ourselves in, it is often difficult to put our differences aside for the common good. Richard was an ardent fighter for progressive causes in Pima county that were often in opposition to Republican values however, he would still show his honorable side. May your thoughts and prayers be with the Elias family in their time of grief.”
Elias, who represented District 5 on the Pima County Board of Supervisors for nearly 20 years, passed away at his home.
Pima County issued a statement:
Richard was a lifelong Democrat, a social-justice advocate, and a noted music aficionado who was loved by many of all walks of life. His friends ranged from homeless people and toiling workers to the wealthy and powerful.
Richard represented Pima County District Five since his appointment to the seat in 2002. He won elections in 2002, 2004, 2008, 2012 and 2016. Richard had filed for his candidacy for another four-year term last week.
Richard’s online bio read:
Native Tucsonan. Friend of our Environment. Public Servant.
Richard Elías, a Democrat, has represented District Five on the Pima County Board of Supervisors since February 2002. He works for and is a vocal advocate for the Sonoran Desert, for affordable housing, for eliminating health-care disparities, for nurturing the development of our youth, for quality education.
Richard works to protect our precious water supplies and the shrinking wildlife habitat of our desert region; he works to diversify and improve our housing stock while repairing and reinvesting in our aging urban infrastructure; he works to make Pima County more hospitable and prosperous, a better place for people to work and play; he seeks to bring everyone together in a spirit of community cooperation to enhance our quality of life.
Among numerous honors Richard has earned in recent years are: Public Service Award of the University of Arizona Alumni Association; Arizona Minority Bar Association Community Service Award; Job Path’s Jim Haag Award for Vision, Initiative and Perseverance; Sky Island Alliance Public Service Award; National Latino AIDS Awareness Day Special Recognition Award; Salpointe Catholic High School Distinguished Alumni Hall of Fame Award.
Other boards Richard serves on include the Pima County Board of Health, the Little Chapel of All Nations Board of Directors, the Salpointe Catholic High School Board of Directors, the Diabetes Association Board of Directors, Tucson Unified School District Mexican-American Studies Advisory Board, the Juvenile Justice Executive Board and the UA Healthcare Hospital at Kino Advisory Board.
Richard entered public office after a lengthy career in the government and non-profit development of affordable housing. He earned a degree in History, with a minor in Mexican-American Studies, from the University of Arizona.
A fifth-generation Tucsonan, Richard is the son of a longtime local union printer, and was a union shop steward with Retail Clerk’s Union Local 727 (now United Food and Commercial Workers Local 99) when he worked in the grocery industry before completing college.
Richard is married to Emily Velde Elías and they have a daughter, Luz.
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Richard is a dear friend, and I am shocked and saddened by his sudden passing. I will miss his friendship, his wit and humor, and his commitment and passion for his constituents, family and friends. My sympathies to his entire family.
Thanks for posting this and for the link to Richard’s Feb. 10 talk at DGT, which I missed. It’s prophetic that he says in the talk that “change is coming”, and indeed it has, with his recent passing and now a vacancy on the Pima County Bd. of Supervisors. I believe their next meeting is on April 2nd, so we’ll see what process they set up for applicants to fill his position till December 31, 2020. Good last thoughts by the Chair of the Board. I knew Richard for decades and always admired his passion and caring, as he did speak and act from his heart.