Candidate Andrei Cherny Discusses the Race for the Democratic House Congressional District One Primary

Arizona House Congressional District (CD) One is one of the most watched Congressional races in the country. 

A district where, in 2022, incumbent David Schweikert prevailed in a non-Presidential election year by about a point, has Democrats gleeful that this seat can be a pickup on the road to recapturing a House majority in this November’s elections. 

So gleeful that there are six Democrats vying to secure their party’s nomination this July to campaign for the seat in the November elections. 

Businessman and former Arizona Assistant Attorney General and Democratic Party Chairperson Andrei Cherny is one of them. 

Regarded as a serious contender in the primary race, Mr. Cherny graciously took time to discuss the status of the primary campaign.

The questions and his responses are below. 

• How would you assess your chances for victory in the July primary? Please give at least two reasons for how you feel that way. 

“I think we’re in a strong position to win the primary and go on to beat David Schweikert. We know that in the last election voters didn’t want to re-elect , David Schweikert. They just didn’t know enough about his opponent. Our campaign has out-raised David Schweikert every quarter. In fact, I am the only challenger running against an incumbent anywhere in America that’s done that.” 

“I’m just as proud of how we’ve done it. As opposed to the Corporate PAC dollars that fund David Schweikert’s campaign or almost all of my primary opponents who have written six or seven figure checks to their campaigns, our momentum and our support come from everyday people. More than half of our donors are giving fifty dollars or less and I think that speaks to the kind of groundswell of support that we’re getting.”

 “I’ll also say that the other reason I think we’re going to come out ahead is because of the kind of support and endorsements we’re getting.”

 “There’s six good people running for this nomination. I like all of them, but the reality is there’s only one of us who has a 25-year track record of fighting for Democrats and the values that we stand for. I think that’s why – whether it’s organizations like the League of Conservation Voters or the Brady PAC Against Gun Violence or individuals like Kelli Butler, Terry Goddard, and Mitzi Epstein, the Democratic leader in the State Senate –they’ve looked at all these candidates and decided to support me. I think that sends a powerful message to a lot of the Democratic primary voters who are just getting to know this field.”

• With regards to policy issues, what are at least two areas voters have been bringing up to you when visiting them at their door or town hall campaign events?  Please explain. 

“One of them is definitely the climate crisis. When you’re out there as I am knocking on doors and it’s 110 degrees and someone opens the door and sees your shirt is drenched,  it’s pretty natural for them to bring up the climate crisis . It’s been amazing to see the number of people every day who asked me if they can get me some water. Clearly, this is going to be another year of probably record temperatures here. And between heat and water and wildfires, the climate crisis isn’t something abstract to voters. It’s here and now. But when I talk to people about my plans and ideas to make Arizona the Solar State, they really respond very positively.”

 “The other thing that people bring up is the challenge of making ends meet. People are struggling to pay their bills, whether it’s buying gasoline or buying groceries. Certainly, we’re seeing housing prices have a big impact on people and families whether it’s in terms of affording a home or affording your rent. And, I’ve been talking a lot about, not just the social issues that we care about as Democrats, but our bread-and-butter economic issues.” 

“We need to raise taxes on billionaires and big corporations. I think that’s a dividing line in this primary. At least a couple of the folks running have said they would consider keeping in place the Trump tax cuts or are undecided when it comes to raising money on big corporations and billionaires. I’m not undecided. I’m decided. We’ve been facing 50 years of rising income for a small sliver of our society and working people have not had a raise. We need to start changing that.”

Has anyone been bringing up to you immigration and how Mr. Schweikert has sided with Mr. Trump in not doing anything about it?

 “I hear that a lot. I’m able to talk to people about my background having been an Arizona Assistant Attorney General and a Border Prosecutor going after these smuggling rings. And I talk about how, from the beginning of this campaign, I’ve been taking the fight to David Schweikert for his record of voting to cut Border Patrol agents and walking away from the bipartisan agreement that had been cobbled together around addressing the border crisis because it wasn’t in his and Donald Trump’s political best interests.”

Have any of the voters at the door been talking to you about Mr. Trump’s 34 convictions or his role on January 6?

“All the time. People talk about specific policy areas, but, overlaying all of that, is the main thing that people talk to me about which is just their feeling of terror about Donald Trump coming back into power and what that’s going to do to our democracy and freedom. And that is by far the number one thing that people talk to me about. It’s not a specific policy area, but it’s definitely where people’s heads are. If I had to say one word that people use to describe what they’re thinking about in terms of the country, it would be the word “scared.” I think that probably sums up what a lot of people are feeling.”

• Please tell the readers about the composition of your ground get out the vote operation for the primary and if you prevail the general election in November.

“I’m proud of the team we’ve been putting together..Our campaign leaders are the same people who ran Mark Kelly’s very successful election campaign, the strongest campaign in Arizona in 2022.  And, of course, there are our fantastic volunteers. We have a campaign office that’s overflowing with people who are coming out to help. High school students, college students, all the way up to seniors who are out there literally every day knocking on doors and making phone calls. We’re doing thousands of voter contacts every day and that’s what it’s going to take to not just win this primary, but really to win the general election.”

• Is there anything that covers the first three questions that you would like to read us to know about your primary campaign for Arizona House Congressional District 1? Please explain. 

“I think the only other thing I would say on the issues that people bring up is, of course, abortion. The 1864 ban is important to mention as well. People want to make sure that they have a nominee with a track record they can trust. And when I talk about my work not just as Democratic Party Chair and taking on Jan Brewer for abortion restrictions, but my work as a business leader and making sure our own employees had access to be able to exercise their abortion rights no matter what state they live, people are glad that I bring a background of action and not just words in this case.”

Please click here to find out more information about Andrei Cherny and his campaign for the Arizona Congressional District One House Seat.