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 and well-known leader, having served as Chair of the LD18 Democrats, and President of the Democrats of Greater Tucson, a teacher at the UofA 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 editorials 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, watching film noir, going on outings with his Portuguese Water Dog, weight training, and meeting his many friends for lattes at breakfast.‎ ‎** Scroll down to see my articles below. **

Voters Get Clear-Cut Choices of Candidates for Ward 3 of Tucson City Council

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Tucson voters in northernmost Ward 3 have clear-cut choices among the three Democratic candidates running for the city council, as they spoke to Democratic precinct captains in the sprawling Ward.

Voters will select one in the primary on August 29. The winner will run against an “independent” in the general election on November 7. Some 88,700 people (36% Hispanic) live in the Ward, which sprawls from River Road on the north, to Swan on the east, to I-29 on the west, and Drachman on the south. Click here to see a map.

The Intellectual: Paul Durham

Paul Durham
Paul Durham

Attorney, MBA in finance.

Raised $41,000 in contributions and matching funds.

Key issues: run Tucson 100% on solar power, attract jobs that pay well, build community.

Lived in Tucson since 2004.

Voted for Hillary.

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Chastened, a Data-Driven Matt Heinz Wants Another Shot at McSally

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Matt Heinz addressing Democratic precinct captains in Sept. 2016
Matt Heinz addressing Democratic precinct captains in September 2016.

After a resounding loss in 2016, Matt Heinz is running again in Tucson’s Congressional District 2, hoping that data, dollars and good publicity will help him beat incumbent Martha McSally.

A doctor and former AZ state representative (2009-2013), Heinz is doing the nuts-and-bolts work of planning to appear at 120 house parties and calling Democratic precinct captains like me.

A physician since 2003, his key issue is health care and making sure that Americans have health insurance. In contrast, McSally eagerly voted to end health insurance for 22 million people, telling her GOP colleagues, let’s get this “fucking thing” done.

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7 Reasons Why Bruce Wheeler Can Beat McSally

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Among all the candidates running for Congress in Tucson, no one but Bruce Wheeler can say that he’s been elected three times from the district. That is the #1 reason that he can beat Martha McSally.

“I understand the district,” he said at a home reception in my own Precinct 238. “This is the district where Hillary won by 15,000 votes.”

Indeed, Wheeler was a state representative for Tucson from 1975-1977, a Tucson City Council member from 1987-1995, and state representative again from 2011 to 2017.

This gives him name recognition, which will be backed up by a door-to-door initiative and a social media campaign. Wheeler knows how to win elections.

It also gives him a leg up on other candidates like carpetbagger Ann Kirkpatrick – who has the backing of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) and ex-Congressman Ron Barber  – and candidate Mary Matiella, who has the backing of Bill Roe, the First Vice Chairman of the AZ Democratic Party.

2. McSally is vulnerable this year, especially because she voted against health insurance for 22 million Americans. “I am absolutely convinced she will be defeated,” Wheeler said. “She is an enabler for Donald Trump’s policies.”

Wheeler favors Medicare for all. 

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Billy Kovacs Congressional Kickoff Snubs Lifelong Democrats

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Billy Kovacs officially launched his congressional campaign at a bar in Tucson, snubbing lifelong Democrats who were meeting at the exact same time, four miles away. The kickoff was held in the student drinking district of the city with a crowd of 200 people. It was short on specifics and long on his slogan, “new voice…new … Read more

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