Larry Bodine

Larry is an intelligent, articulate, and insightful commentator whose views are shaped by a combination of journalism, entrepreneurship, law practice, and leadership.‎ ✍ He is an experienced leader, having served as Chair of the LD18 Democrats, and President of the Democrats of Greater Tucson, a teacher at the UA Osher Lifelong Learning Institute, and Video Manager for Iskashitaa Refugee Network, ‎ ✍ A common-sense business leader, he operated a successful marketing consultancy for 20 years. He is skilled in fundraising, artificial intelligence, and online communications.‎ ✍He considers multiple viewpoints before forming an opinion. His ethos is the Boy Scout Law.‎ ✍ Larry is a lifelong writer, having worked as a seven-time award-winning journalist for the New York Daily News and as the author of 600 articles for the Blog for Arizona.‎ ✍He is a graduate of Amherst College and Seton Hall Law School and has also attended the University of Munich in Germany.‎ ✍He is not all work and no play. Larry enjoys singing and playing the guitar, hiking Tucson's beautiful trails, going on outings with his Portuguese Water Dog, weight training, and meeting his many friends for breakfast.‎ ‎** Scroll down to see my articles below. **

Kirkpatrick & Heinz Lead in CD2 Congress Fundraising, Marquez-Peterson Catching Up

by
Top row: Ann Kirkpatrick, Mary Matiella, Bruce Wheeler Bottom row: Bill Kovacs, Barbara Sherry, Matt Heinz
Top row: Ann Kirkpatrick, Mary Matiella, Bruce Wheeler — Bottom row: Billy Kovacs, Barbara Sherry, Matt Heinz

In the race for Congress in Tucson’s Congressional District 2, once again the top Democratic fundraisers were Ann Kirkpatrick and Matt Heinz, with Republican opponent Lea Marquez-Peterson catching up fast. The three also have the most cash on hand (see chart farther below).

The Democrats will speak at a CD2 Candidate Forum Thursday starting at 6:30 pm at Tucson High Magnet School, 400 N 2nd Ave., Tucson, AZ 85705.

Total campaign contributions

Name Total Receipts
Ann Kirkpatrick (D)  $ 1,755,795.57
Matt Heinz (D)  $    853,588.68
Lea Marquez Peterson (R)  $    707,289.85
Mary Sally Matiella (D)  $    256,723.88
Billy Kovacs (D)  $       71,922.37
Yahya Yuksel (D)  $       43,110.78
Brandon Ray Martin (R)  $       24,225.69
Bruce Wheeler (D)  $       21,344.76
Casey Welch (R)  $       14,196.70
Barbara Sherry (D)  $         6,815.77
Danny Morales (R)  $         6,364.60
You read this story FIRST on the Blog for Arizona — and nowhere else. Click to subscribe for free to the Blog for Arizona.

Money matters

Read more

Disgraced candidate Yahya Yuksel refused to quit the CD2 race for Congress, ignoring an angry crowd of rape victims and other women.

Accused Rapist Yahya Yuksel Must Drop Out Now from CD2 Race

by

A 16-year old Tucson girl was upset because her parents were getting divorced, and she went to a friend’s house and got drunk. As she was passing out, Yahya Yuksel, a teen virgin who was ready with a condom, had sex with her even though she said, “no, I don’t want to.” Flash forward to … Read more

Yahya Yuksel

Rape Allegation Surfaces Against CD2 Democratic Candidate Yahya Yuksel

by
Yahya Yuksel
Yahya Yuksel is facing outrage and calls for him to drop out of the CD2 Congressional race because of a 2008 police report recounting a rape allegation.

Read: Accused Rapist Yahya Yuksel Must Drop Out Now from CD2 Race

A Pima County Sheriff’s report has surfaced, stating that CD2 Democratic Congressional Candidate Yahya Yuksel was accused of rape by a 16- or 17-year-old girl when he was 17 and both were in high school in 2007.

The report also quotes a witness who refutes the girl’s claim.

Yuksel denied the “false allegation,” in a legal motion, stating, “The investigating officer found no reason to pursue the allegation after speaking with the accuser. For the record, I did not know of the existence of this allegation until recently,” he stated.

“Such a criminal allegation of moral turpitude is utterly disastrous to my reputation, especially for someone like me who is considering running for elected political office,” he stated.

When reached by phone yesterday, Yuksel said he would be issuing a statement.

The 2008 report

In the sheriff’s report dated March 13, 2008, the teenage girl said she and Yuksel were drinking Sky vodka and cola at a friend’s house. The report blacks out her name. She told the officer that Yuksel began kissing her and she tried to push him off, “telling him that she did not want to.” She stated that Yuksel began “feeling me up.” “He then pulled off her shorts and swimsuit bottoms, put on a condom and had intercourse with her. She stated ‘no’ the whole time and tried to push him off. During intercourse, she cried a little bit and then blacked out,” the report states.

Read more

David Schapira, Democratic Candidate for AZ Superintendent of Public Instruction

David Schapira’s 4 Arguments for InvestInEd

by
David Schapira, Democratic Candidate for AZ Superintendent of Public Instruction
David Schapira, Democratic Candidate for AZ Superintendent of Public Instruction

There are four good arguments in favor of the InvestInEd public initiative, according to David Schapira, a Democratic Candidate for state Superintendent of Public Instruction.

The InvestInEd public initiative creates a dedicated funding source to keep teachers in Arizona classrooms and give students the one-on-one attention they deserve.

Schapira is former Senate Democratic leader and current Tempe City Council member. He spoke at a recent meeting of the LD9 Democrats in Tucson.

➊ It will restore the $700 million in state funds cut from education over the last 10 years. “The Republican majority in the Legislature decided to balance the budget on the backs of our kids. Pima and Maricopa county colleges county lost every penny of funding from the state, and the universities cut were cut too,” Schapira said. “The RedforEd movement convinced the Legislature to put money back into public schools. But even after that our public schools still have $700 million less than they did a decade ago.”

Read more

©2025 Blog For Arizona | Website by Riveted