Arizona Legislative District Two State Representative and former aide to Gabby Giffords Daniel Hernandez sees a path to the Democratic nomination for the House seat his former mentor once held.
After having a successful fundraising quarter and securing the endorsements of union groups like the Arizona Federation of Teachers, Mr. Hernandez is confident he has the qualifications and positions that will appeal to the residents of the current Arizona Congressional District Two represented by retiring Ann Kirkpatrick.
If elected, Mr. Hernandez will work for progressive values while striving to work across the aisles. He will also work to:
- Promote equity.
- Advance health care access and affordability.
- Foster economic development for Southern Arizona.
- Improve infrastructure in the district including expanding rural broadband.
Representative Hernandez graciously took the time to discuss the current state of his candidacy for Congress.
The questions and his responses are below.
1) Please describe the current status of the race for Congressional District Two for your campaign now that Dr. Friese has decided to not run.
“I would say that the momentum and the grassroots have shifted to our favor. I raised $268,000 in less than 40 days last quarter and earned the most endorsements including three unions (the Boiler Makers 627, Laborers 1184, the Arizona Federation of Teachers, Latino Victory Fund, LGBTQ Victory Fund, Equality PAC, and Pro-Israel America,) We are really well-positioned to do well if it is either a safe Democratic district or a competitive one.”
2) Please describe the current state of the campaign. Do you consider yourself the front runner? Please explain.
“I think the momentum and the grassroots are really on our side. I raised the most money in the last quarter. I have the endorsements from four members of congress (Ritchie Torres, Norma Torres, Mark Takano, and David Cicilline) and have more endorsements to roll out. But most importantly, I have a track record for getting things done and delivering results for Southern Arizona.”
3) Will you be resigning from the Arizona State Legislature to concentrate on running for the Congressional seat? Please explain.
“I got elected to do a job. With Republicans moving to adopt Texas-style abortion restrictions and Georgia-style voter suppression, it is important to have a seasoned legislator in place to push back on them.”
4) Moving forward, what are the three to five most important issues you and your team will be campaigning on in the Congressional Primary?
- “Health Care. Based on my personal experience where I almost died of Graves’ Disease at 17, I will always fight for better access to health care. It is important to have affordable and accessible health care in all our communities. It is also essential to have the best quality physicians and health care workers across Southern Arizona.
- Economic Development: I have been at the forefront of recruiting more economic development for the district. The key is jobs jobs and jobs.
- Infrastructure: Roads are critical as well as expanding access to rural broadband to low-income communities by providing subsidies so they can afford them.”
5) Is there anything not covered in the first four questions that you would like the readers to know about you and your candidacy? Please explain.
“This is a district that, despite being a border district, has not had a Latino Representative. The historic nature of electing the first Latino is important. It is critical to have someone representing the district who is sensitive to the needs of the community.”
Please click below for more information on State Representative Hernandez and his campaign to represent Southern Arizona in the House of Representatives.
Facebook – https://facebook.com/daniel.hernandez.az
Instagram – https://instagram.com/danielforaz
Twitter – https://twitter.com/danielforaz
Website – https://www.danielhernandezforcongress.com/
Link to Donate – https://www.danielhernandezforcongress.com/donate