Charlene Fernandez Elected as Chair of the Arizona Democratic Party

Democratic State Committee members elected charismatic Charlene Fernandez of Yuma to be the new Chair of the Arizona Democratic Party (ADP).

Four hundred Democratic State Committee members met in Phoenix, giving her a decisive victory with 347 votes — 58% of the vote.

The other candidates were:

• ADP First Vice Chair Kim Khoury with 86 votes.
• ADP Vice Chair Joshua Polacheck, a former candidate for the Arizona Corporation Commission, received 65 votes.
• ADP Vice Chair Shawnté Rothschild, a former Maricopa Unified School District board member, received 60 votes.
• Channel Powe, a strategy consultant and former candidate for Downtown Precinct judge of the Maricopa County Justice Court, received 40 votes.

Candidate Statement of Interest:

I’m running for Chair of the Arizona Democratic Party Executive Board to do one thing: win elections. We’ll take back the U.S. House, re-elect our statewide leaders, and finally flip the state legislature.

The stakes couldn’t be higher. Working families are struggling, MAGA extremists are dismantling our democracy, and Republicans are giving handouts to the ultra-wealthy. My plan: a 15-county strategy, statewide voter registration drives, and year-round engagement across the state so we show up, listen, and turn out voters.

I’ve been a progressive fighter my whole career—leading the Arizona House Democratic Caucus to real wins like teacher pay raises and a historic water deal, and later serving as USDA Rural Development Director, delivering rural hospitals, affordable housing, and food access.

I’m a pragmatic, get-things-done progressive who can raise the money, support candidates, and build the team we need to win—everywhere in Arizona. Let’s get to work.

Bio:

Charlene Fernandez has dedicated her life to public service. Born and raised in rural Arizona, she has deep roots in the region and a lifelong understanding of the unique challenges and strengths that define rural communities.

In 2021, she was appointed by President Biden to serve as the State Director of Rural Development for the U.S. Department of Agriculture. In this role, she has led historic investments from Congress and the President to expand economic opportunities, improve infrastructure, and support community development across rural Arizona.

Elected to the Arizona House of Representatives in 2014, Fernandez represented a Southwestern district home to many of the farmers and ranchers who make Arizona the nation’s top producer of winter lettuce. In 2019, her colleagues elected her as House Minority Leader.

Her public service career began at the local level, serving eight years on her local high school board. She went on to serve as vice chair of the Arizona Democratic Party and chair of the Yuma County Democratic Party.

Earlier in her professional career, Fernandez worked for Congressmen Ed Pastor and Raúl M. Grijalva, representing Yuma County and later served in the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality under Governor Janet Napolitano.

What is your relationship with working families/unions in Arizona?

I come from a working-class family and community, and I’ve spent my career advocating for working families. I’ve partnered with unions on shared goals—whether in my early work for congressional offices or as a state representative. As Minority Leader, I met weekly with labor leaders, visited union halls across Arizona, and listened directly to members about their needs.

I believe Democrats must reclaim our identity as the party of the working class. That means working closely with labor and directly addressing kitchen table issues—like affordability and access to healthcare. To protect democracy, we must prove it can materially improve people’s lives, delivering on an agenda that works for everyone.

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Fernandez spoke at Democrats of Greater Tucson on August 19, 2025

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Please provide specifics regarding your experience with setting, revising, and operating with budgets in excess of $500,000 per year.

I’ve managed significant budgets at every stage of my career. As a state legislator and school board member, I regularly set and revised large budgets. At USDA, I oversaw more than $100 million—making grants, hiring staff, reviewing partner budgets, and approving or recommending adjustments.

As Minority Leader and a candidate, I fundraised extensively—from small-dollar call time to securing six-figure commitments from major labor unions for legislative campaigns. I know how to grow resources, steward them responsibly, and ensure financial stability—skills I will bring to the ADP to restore strong, sustainable funding.

Please articulate your management style as it will relate to ADP staff members and the volunteer Executive Board – provide an example of how you have practiced conflict resolution.

I lead as part of a team—setting shared goals, making them the priority, and ensuring everyone has a role in achieving them. Party politics is a team sport, and winning requires unity.

As Arizona House Democratic Leader, I navigated frequent disagreements over priorities and strategies. I listened to all voices, identified common ground, and charted a path forward that the caucus could unite behind. I maintain an open-door policy so team members know their concerns will be heard. I bring no recent alliances, only a focus on uniting the Party around our shared goal: winning in 2026.

What is your experience with grassroots organizing?  Please describe the grassroots leadership roles you have held and/or the grassroots projects you have completed.

Grassroots organizing has been at the core of my work—from starting a booster club for girls’ sports in my community to running my own grassroots-driven school board and legislative campaigns. As Yuma County Party Chair, I doubled our Precinct Committee Member base from around 65 to 135 and led voter registration drives across the county—sometimes in unconventional places, until we were asked to leave!

This experience taught me the power of showing up everywhere. As Chair, I’ll prioritize voter registration and engagement in every corner of Arizona, building the same energy and reach on a statewide scale.