Posted by Bob Lord
[Disclaimer: I have endorsed David Lujan and support his candidacy in the District 4 Phoenix City Council Race]
Hats off to David Lujan. Yesterday, he announced his unequivocal support for the Arpaio recall effort.
It's not often you see an Arizona Dem get out in front of a controversial issue. Remember the embarassing response of Arizona Dems to SB1070 when it was first enacted? Our supposed leaders either avoided taking a position or found a technical reason to oppose 1070, then immediately pivoted to bash Congress for failing to address illegal immigration. Jon Hulburd, then a candidate in CD3, even supported 1070. Only Raul Grijalva and Phil Gordon took strong stands opposing 1070, and many establishment Dems attacked Grijalva for his courage.
Ditto for the Pearce recall.
So it's refreshing to see Lujan announce his support for the Arpaio recall effort, especially this early on in the campaign. The full text of his press release follows after the jump.
DAVID LUJAN SUPPORTS RECALL EFFORTS FOR SHERIFF JOE ARPAIO
MARCH 8, 2013
PHOENIX, AZ – For more than five years David Lujan has waited for the Federal Courts to bring justice to Maricopa County and end unconstitutional practices proliferated by Sherriff Joe Arpaio. In 2007, David joined with Arizona Hispanic Community Forum and Somos America in filing a Federal class action against Arpaio and the Maricopa County Attorney’s office to declare their practice of charging undocumented immigrants with conspiracy unconstitutional. That case has wound its way through the court system and decision is pending with the recent ruling of portions of SB 1070 as unconstitutional. A decision could be made on the lawsuit as early as this year.
Today, David Lujan continues to stand firm against the questionable practices of Joe Arpaio, as the first candidate in Phoenix Council District 4 to publically support the recall effort of Respect Arizona.
“I stand with Respect Arizona, and with the interests and rights of all citizens of Maricopa County in supporting the campaign to recall Sherriff Joe Arpaio. We believe the Sheriff should respect, defend and protect the rights guaranteed under the US Constitution because no one – not even a Sheriff – is above the law.”
“The voting public deserves a democratic means to remove unsatisfactory leaders from office. To simply describe Sherriff Joe’s leadership as unsatisfactory would be too kind. He has been a menace to our society for too long. He has divided our citizens and stands between our communities making real progress in reducing crime and building a community free from the fear and intimidation that has been the calling card of his administration. Please sign a petition, donate to the cause and get your friends and family involved.”
David Lujan is running for City Council in the City of Phoenix newly redistricted District 4. David has lived in the district for over 16 years. He is a fourth generation Arizonan, born in Phoenix and graduated from Washington High School. David is currently the Chief Administrator of ASU Preparatory Academy, a unique charter public school for K-10th Grade students. The school is located in downtown Phoenix and works in partnership with Arizona State University to help students succeed in college and become active citizens by developing strong community ties and collaborations with artists, business owners and leaders throughout the valley. David is an attorney who has spent his career dedicated to public service and fighting to improve the quality of life for all Arizonans.
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