Democracy Warrior Gail Kamaras Inducted into Democratic Hall of Fame

Gail Kamaras of Tucson singlehandedly collected signatures for 250 petitions for the pro-choice AAA Initiative. An attorney and avid hiker, she loves setting up a colorful ironing board at a local library or farmer’s market to gather signatures on petitions or register new voters.

Gail, a precinct committee person in Legislative District 18 in Tucson, was inducted into the Arizona Democratic Party Hall of Fame on May 17, 2024, for her outstanding volunteer work.

Arizona Secretary of State Adrian Fontes introduced her, and State Party Chair Yolanda Bejarano presented her a commemorative plaque in ceremonies in Phoenix on May 17, 2024.

Double award winner

Gail is a Democracy warrior who works daily to uphold Democratic values. On May 11, 2024, the Pima County Democratic Party presented her with the Arizona Spirit of Service Award at the May 11 Udall Dinner and Awards Night.

Originally motivated by an Indivisible group, Gail quickly embraced the values of the Democratic Party, becoming an elected PC. She lived and worked in the old LD10 until redistricting, and now she lives in LD18, where she regularly attends district meetings and events. She continues to serve as a state committee person.

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Join the action in LD18, the bluest district in Southern Arizona. Join us at our upcoming meeting on May 28 on Zoom: https://bit.ly/LD18meeting

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The former chair of the Pima County Democratic Party, Bonnie Heidler, said, “Gail’s background as a lawyer made her a valued member of the Pima County Democratic Party’s Bylaws committee,” where she organized the revision of the Pima County Bylaws in 2019.

When LD18 was created in the wake of redistricting, she and her small team merged the Bylaws of the three LDs that came together to form the current LD18.

● In 2021, while serving as the Recording Secretary for LD10, she oversaw the recruitment and collection of nomination forms and petition signature pages. Her efforts increased the number of elected PCs from 100 to 138.

● In 2022, Gail volunteered daily as an office coordinator for the Mission for Arizona campaign in the Broadway office in Tucson. Her responsibilities included organizing phone banks and canvasses.

While thoroughly capable of serving in administrative roles, Gail has always been more comfortable in outreach and voter interaction. For years, she has served as the Territory Lead for a large, very red area of southeast Tucson, where she relishes the challenge of organizing canvasses and communicating with her Territory’s PCs and volunteers. Leading by example, Gail knocks on doors every day.

Gail’s tireless work collecting signatures on the Arizona for Abortion Access initiative is legendary. By the first week of April, Gail had turned in more than 250 completed petitions, and she shows no sign of slowing down. She has been relentlessly supportive of others in this effort, and her experience has been invaluable.

Recognizing that many voters had a limited understanding of U.S. and Arizona civics, she was a member of a team of volunteers to conduct monthly civics training at local Pima County libraries. The curriculum included introducing the public to elected officials and helping them understand how government works at all levels.

Gail is a consummate teacher. She has been an instructor for OLLI, the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at the University of Arizona. She is also an avid hiker.