Julie Gunnigle is Campaigning to Become the First Woman Elected to the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office

Maricopa County Democrats see great possibilities for winning county-based offices in 2020.

Attorney Julie Gunnigle and her candidacy for the Maricopa County Attorney’s office is one of them.

A former prosecutor, law professor, and LD 15 State House Democratic Nominee, Ms. Gunnigle would like to become the first woman to win the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office.

Currently, the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office is led by Allister Adel, an appointee to complete the term of now State Supreme Court Justice Bill Montgomery.

If elected this November, Ms. Gunnigle vows “to be tough, smart, and fair” as the new County Attorney.

She would also work to:

  • “Protect women, children, and seniors from violent crimes.
  • Stop systematic racism.
  • Implement sentencing reform.
  • End cash bail.
  • Keep families together.
  • Be transparent and accessible to the community.
  • Hold law enforcement accountable
  • Eliminate private prisons.
  • Protect Arizonan civil liberties.
  • Create effective diversion programs for at risk populations.
  • Stop the prosecution of low-level drug offenses.
  • Prosecute political corruption.”

Ms. Gunnigle graciously took the time to answer questions about her candidacy.

The questions and her responses are below.

 

1) Please tell the voters three reasons they should pick you over Ms. Adel?

 “We need change and our community deserves a County Attorney that is going to be tough, smart, and fair to enact the necessary reforms that reflect our values as Arizonans. I am running on a strong platform of criminal justice reform that would both make us safer and save us money. That includes taking on public corruption, upholding women’s reproductive rights, and ending the racial disparities in sentencing.”

 “The current status quo has prioritized incarceration and funneling hundreds of millions of dollars of taxpayer funds to private prisons rather than fully-funding public schools. For far too long, there have been conflicts of interest at the heart of Arizona’s biggest problems and they have gone unaddressed by the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office. Additionally, if Roe v. Wade were overturned, my opponent has stated that she would prosecute Arizonans for their own personal healthcare decisions.”

2)    Please tell the voters at least three ways your opponent has failed as Maricopa County Attorney.

“My opponent was the only public official or agency that publicly backed the SB 1070 copycat during the most recent legislative session. She has also done little to address the criminal justice reform that an overwhelming majority of Arizonans support. This office has immense power and the ability to change policy in our criminal justice system, but there’s been a lack of urgency during the 11 months of her appointed tenure. My opponent stated, in writing, that she would be honored to build on the legacy of Bill Montgomery. She was hand-selected by the Republican Party, not the people of Arizona. We need changes that will help all of us, not just special interests in our state.”

3) Please tell the voters at least three issues you feel are important to pursue if you are elected to the Maricopa County Attorney’s position?

“My platform is straightforward and hasn’t deviated since we started this campaign. We need to transform this office into an institution that is tough, smart, and fair. This means being tough on corruption and crimes that target the most vulnerable in our society like women, children, and our seniors. Being smart with our resources by instituting reforms to fix our incarceration crisis and save $250 million a year. Being fair with our sentencing and ending regressive practices like pleading to the lead and charge stacking so that the punishments in our legal system fit the crime committed. These are all commonsense reforms backed by evidence that will both make our community safer and save us money when they’re implemented. Talking directly to people in Arizona, there has been overwhelming bipartisan support for these kinds of changes. “

4) Is there anything you would like the voter to know about you or your candidacy that has not been asked in the first three questions.

“We need your help to win. This race is incredibly close, but we have the opportunity to elect a Democrat to this position for the first time in 40 years and a woman for the first time ever in the history of this office. To contribute, learn more, or volunteer on our campaign, please visit www.gunnigle2020.com.”

 For more information on Ms. Gunnigle and her candidacy, please click on her Facebook Page here, an interview with Maricopa School Superintendent Candidate Jeanne Casteen here, and a previous interview with Blog for Arizona here.

Please remember:

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