When readers last read about Seth Blattman in 2020, he was running for the State Senate in what was Legislative District (LD) 23.
While he did not prevail in that race, the drive to make a better life for children like his five year old nephew and other members of his local community is still strong.
Mr. Blattman has declared his intentions to run for one of the State House seats in the newly formed LD Nine, an area that contains West Mesa and a sliver of Tempe.
Among the issues that Mr. Blattman will focus on in his campaign are:
- Fully supporting public education.
- Protecting Democracy.
- Campaign Finance Reform.
- Helping small businesses succeed.
The new LD Nine, with an even mix of Democrats and Republicans is a golden opportunity for left of center Democrats who craft the right message to appeal to the Independents that will likely decide the November 2022 election results.
Mr. Blattman presents himself as such a candidate.
He graciously took the time to discuss his candidacy.
The questions and his responses are below.
1) What are at least two reasons you want to run for a term in the Arizona State Legislature in the new LD Nine?
“I’m a local business owner who grew up in Arizona. As I look to raise the next generation of Blattmans, I started considering the futures of all children in Arizona, I want to provide them with the best lives possible. I want what’s best for our State and being 50th in the nation in education spending is not it. But also how did we get to be in this predicament when the majority of voters support our teachers? This is a signifier that we need reform. I believe we need representatives who represent the people and not just themselves or their largest donors. I believe we need good people in government, people we trust to make the right decisions for our communities and state. Reforms in government to turn down the volume and the temperature. Less extremism and less yelling, more competence and compromise. Wouldn’t it be nice to have a quiet and efficient government operating in the background?”
2) Why should the voters elect you over any opponent that you run against?
“LD Nine is a moderate district and the current Republican candidates are far too extreme. One GOP candidate is Kathy Pearce, sister of the recalled Russell Pearce. She lost her primary in the old LD 25, which was a heavily Republican district. Her politics weren’t a good fit for her old district much less our new one. The second Republican candidate is much further to the right. She was even cut from an RNC video for being too extreme! I believe the issue was related to Q-Anon.
I’m a businessperson who grew up in Arizona. I am a problem solver. I will represent everyone in my district regardless of party. Fundamentally we need good people in government, people we can trust to make the right decisions.”
3) If elected, what are these four issues you will focus on the legislature?
“Protecting public education. Education is the number one issue for all Democrats. This is the first priority. Being last in the nation in anything is an embarrassment let alone the investment we’re making in our children. Increasing teacher pay so we’re not losing half our teachers in the first five years and having so many classrooms with non-permanent teachers.”
“Campaign finance reform. There is an appetite for campaign finance reform among a new Democratic majority. My goal is a government which works for the people and not just its largest donors.”
“Saving democracy. We’re going to undo all the voter suppression measures that have been legislated under the current Republican majority. We need to expand people’s access to the ballot box, not deny voting rights.”
“Reinforcing our economy. Coming out of COVID we need a strong economy. That means jobs that pay people what they deserve and businesses which thrive in a conducive environment. As a small business owner, I know a lot of businesses need help right now. I will make it so family-owned small businesses have access to capital, not just the large companies with the best lawyers. We will protect and help the local businesses which are a part of our community.”
Are you for Universal Pre-K?
“Yes”
Are you for expanding Kid’s Care?
“Yes, absolutely.”
Do you support funding the police?
“I’m for funding the police. I’m for supporting police by allowing them to focus on the core elements of their job and allowing social workers, mental health counselors, and the like to focus on theirs. There is bias in policing that needs fixing but the solution does not lie in taking funding away from the people meant to protect us.”
Do you support both securing the border and immigration reform?
“We need a better system than we currently have. I don’t think anyone is against a secure border. Just like I don’t think anyone is for a system of policies that forever criminalize a large segment of society.”
4) Is there anything that you haven’t said in the first three questions that you want the readers to know about you or your candidacy?
“One of the things I’m excited for is the representation of the City of Mesa and our small part of Tempe. Prior to redistricting, our city was split into three districts each of which included large parts of other cities. This is an opportunity for a majority legislative district in Mesa and its legislators to represent the people of both cities. Real representation. And this is an exciting place to be running as there’s no pathway to the majority in our legislature without winning in LD 9. At roughly 50% Democrats and 50% Republicans it will take a lot of hard work but we have strong candidates and we are a must win for our State.”
Please click on the below social media sites for more information on Seth Blattman and his candidacy.
https://www.facebook.com/blattmanaz
https://twitter.com/SethBlattman or @sethblattman
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