Arizona House and Senate Democratic Leaders Condemn Death Threats Against Office Holders and Candidates

Over the last two weeks, there has been a rise in death threats against Arizona leaders and candidates.

These include Arizona Secretary of State Adrian Fontes, Representative Yassamin Ansari, Representative Adelita Griljavla, and Representative Adelita Grijalva receiving threatening envelopes filled with a white powder, which turned out to be non-toxic.

Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs reported to journalists on KTAR that she and her family have received execution threats.

Republican Gubernatorial and Attorney General Nominees Andy Biggs and Warren Petersen reported being threatened by a Facebook post that indicated they would have the same fate as the late Charlie Kirk.

This week, Arizona Legislative District Four Representative Democratic Nominee Tammy Caputi reported Anti-Semitic death threats towards her to law enforcement.

Last month, Congressional District Eight Democratic Candidate Bernadette Greene-Placentia reported being sexually assaulted while working on campaign signs.

Earlier in the year, Arizona Senator Analise Ortiz and Representative Alma Hernandez encountered vile acts of harassment.

Reacting to these vile and disgusting illegal threats against office holders and candidates, Arizona’s Democratic Senate and House Legislative Leaders issued press statements condemning these violent acts.

In the House, Leader Oscar De Los Santos, Assistant Leader Nancy Gutierrez, and Whips Quantá Crews and Stacey Travers issued a joint statement that read:

“We can expect and are always prepared for passionate and sometimes forceful disagreements in the political arena. But violence, threats of violence, and hateful and demeaning rhetoric have no place in our elections and in our elected offices. Public servants and those who run for office deserve respect and have our gratitude, regardless of party or position. Despite any differences of opinion, we must be united in never tolerating hate speech or antisemitism and rejecting violence and threats as part of our discourse.”  

In the Senate, Leader Priya Sundareshan wrote:

“Public officials must be held accountable for their decisions, policies, and conduct. That’s how democracy works. But accountability happens through public debate and at the ballot box, not through threats or violence. Intimidation must never silence public servants or undermine the right of voters to make their own choices.”

Democratic Assistant Leader Catherine Miranda offered:

“Enough is enough. No candidate, elected official or family should fear for their lives because of political disagreements. The reported threats against Tammy Caputi and her family are unacceptable. Political disagreements are part of democracy. Threatening to kill someone is not. Violence cannot become the price of public service.

Senate Democratic Whip Rosanna Gabaldón relayed:

“Behind every elected official is a family, a staff and a community. None of them signed up to become targets of violence. We’ve seen threats through social media, emails, phone calls and even at people’s homes. This is not normal, and we must never accept it as normal. Leaders have a responsibility to reject this behavior.”

Senate Democratic Chair Lela Alston wrote:

“We can disagree passionately about policies without threatening one another. Political campaigns and their ads must be responsible. Challenging someone’s record is fair game, but targeting families, exploiting personal trauma or fueling hostility crosses a line. Political leaders must reject violence and intimidation, regardless of party.”

The Senate Democratic Leadership Statement summed it all very well with its last two lines:

Political violence has no place in Arizona or anywhere in our country. No election, political disagreement or partisan victory is worth a human life.

Very True.