Hundreds of Democrats Pack the Opening of New Tucson Headquarters

Jammed in shoulder to shoulder at the opening of the new state Democratic office in Tucson, more than 200 enthusiastic Democrats turned out for candidates Kirsten Engel for the U.S. House and Ruben Gallego for the U.S. Senate.

The unexpected size of the crowd overwhelmed the air conditioning and ceiling fans and demonstrated the passion of Democratic activists and their anger at Republican extremism.

The new Democratic office on Campbell Road near Glenn has many yard signs and placards. It is also a place where volunteers can make phone calls to voters, knock on doors and staff the office.

Candidate Kirsten Engel for Congress runs against an extremist

“I have been talking to people all over this district. They are sick and tired of the extremism that they’re seeing with the GOP,” said Kirsten Engel, the Democratic candidate for Tucson’s Congressional District Six. “My opponent, Juan Ciscomani, walks around this district as if he’s some kind of moderate. Back in Washington, D.C., he votes like the extremist that he is.”

• “Is it a moderate who vetted the justices of the Arizona Supreme Court that resurrected an 1864 abortion ban? No!
• “Is it a moderate who spent his entire weekend touting that he was endorsed by Trump, who’s now a convicted felon? No!
• “Is it a moderate who is the founding member of the Arizona chapter of the Patriot Academy, a Christian nationalist organization? No!” she said. “He’s an extremist. He’s got to go,” she said.

“We need to get to work on all the priorities that we know are important, from our water future to education for our kids and bringing down the cost of health care.”

Congressman Ruben Gallego for U.S. Senate

“You have made this state the fighting blue state that it is slowly becoming,” said U.S. Senate candidate Congressman Ruben Gallego.

“You have made this state a place for good working-class families. You have made the state that is going to enshrine Roe v. Wade so that women actually have control over their lives.

“I’ve been traveling the state. We’ve been going up and down, left and right, to the reddest parts of the state. We’re going to be visiting all 22 federally recognized tribes. We’re talking to Arizonians from all walks of life. And they’re worried about their future. They’re worried about whether there is going to be secure water. They’re worried about the ability to buy a home. They’re worried about their wives, their sisters, and their daughters’ ability to have a safe and legal abortion.

“We’re running against some of the most extreme people that this country has seen. We have Kari Lake, who is an election denier,” he said. “We beat her once. We’ll beat her twice. It’ll be very nice.”

Kelly cites Biden’s successes

“When I was elected in 2020 and sworn in at the end of 2020, I did not expect what came next, whether it was the insurrection on January 6^th, the 2021 Trump impeachment hearing, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and what happened in Israel on October 7^th,” Kelly said.

“This has been one challenging and heartbreaking issue after the next. It highlights how important elections are and how much they matter. We’ve got an election coming up in about five short months. The time is going to go by very quickly.”

“Over the last three and a half years, we’ve had the opportunity here domestically to do a lot of positive things,” Kelly said to a cheering crowd, citing President Biden’s accomplishments:

• The Chips and Science Act brings tens of thousands of very good-paying jobs to Arizona. “Jobs you can actually raise a family on. We’re bringing jobs back to our country. For how long have politicians talked about bringing jobs back to America? We’re actually doing it, thanks to Ruben Gallego and other Democrats in the House and in the Senate. We are making this happen.”
• The cap on out-of-pocket expenses for prescription drugs for seniors now under Medicare Part D is between $3,300 and $3,800 a month. In 2025, seniors will pay no more than $2,000 in out-of-pocket costs. The cap on insulin is $35 a month. “These are transformative changes to people’s lives,” Kelly said.
• Bipartisan infrastructure bill
• Gun safety legislation.

“With Donald Trump in the White House and Republicans in control of the United States Senate or the House, these things don’t happen. It took Democrats and Democratic leadership and Joe Biden in the White House to get these things done that matter for all Americans.”

“So, this election, folks, is the most important election of our lifetime,” Kelly said. “Ruben Gallego is going to beat Kari Lake. Kirsten Engel is going to beat Juan Ciscomani. And the work of the White House runs right through the state of Arizona again.”

“I spent 25 years in the Navy. Ruben is a Marine. We’re both combat veterans. But we don’t need a Navy or Marine Corps. What we need here is an Army of volunteers.”