Watch AZ Citizens Clean Elections debates online – LD 9 and LD 10 races

Arizona Citizens Clean Election Commission held 2 debates recently in Southern Arizona.  The LD 9 House debate was held at PCC Northwest campus on Oct. 14 and the LD 10 Senate & House debates were held at PCC  District Office on Oct. 18.

LD 9:  Rep.Randy Friese (D), Pam Powers Hannley (D) and Ana Henderson (R), seeking 2 House seats.

Rep. Matt Kopec (D), who was appointed to this seat in January,  was defeated in the Democratic  primary on August 30 by Hannley.  State Senator Steve Farley in LD 9 is running unopposed.

Watch LD 9 video here:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HVUJdERwUAM&feature=share

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Randy Friese, Pamela Powers Hannley, Ana Henderson

#LD9 Voters – Can’t Decide How to Vote? Watch the Debate (video)

Randy Friese, Pamela Powers Hannley, Ana Henderson

The Arizona Clean Elections Commission recently hosted a debate between the three candidates vying for two seats in the Arizona House: Democrats Rep. Randy Friese and Pamela Powers Hannley (me) and Tea Party Republican Ana Henderson.

This debate was the first candidate forum that Henderson participated in with the two Democrats, and it’s likely the last. With 75 or more people from both parties, the debate was well-attended. The audience submitted many great questions. Some questions are asked of all candidates– like education funding, climate change, Prop 205 (marijuana legalization), and Prop 206 (raising the minimum wage).

Below is the video.

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Rep. Randy Friese, Pamela Powers Hannley and Ana Henderson

#LD9 Debate Reveals Clear Choices Between Dem & GOP Candidates

Rep. Randy Friese, Pamela Powers Hannley and Ana Henderson
LD9 candidates for House: Rep. Randy Friese, Pamela Powers Hannley and Ana Henderson

Rep. Randy Friese, Pamela Powers Hannley (me), and Ana Henderson– the three candidates for the two Legislative District 9 seats in the Arizona House– faced off on Friday night in front of a packed house for the LD9 Clean Elections Debate.

This was the first event– and perhaps the only event– in which voters got to hear all three candidates. Friese and I were the only LD9 candidates who appeared at the Pima County Interfaith Council Candidate Forum, the candidate forum sponsored by the UA pre-law candidate forum, the Arizona Daily Star candidate interview and Pride on Parade— besides all of the joint events with Matt Kopec during the primary. (OK, so Pride wasn’t a candidate forum, but many candidates turned out to show their support for the LGBTQ community and celebrate diversity.)

So– even though this is the first time that most of us got to hear Henderson talk, we learned a lot about her views. Climate change, reproductive choice, homelessness, corporate tax cuts, minimum wage, public banking, gun violence, and, of course, education– the three of us fielded a wide variety of questions from the audience last night. (I’ll link the full video when it is available on the Clean Elections YouTube channel.)

Here’s we learned about Ana Henderson at the debate.

She’s against raising the minimum wage. (She said it’s bad for business, and government shouldn’t be meddling in business– except to dole out more corporate welfare. In a town with a 25% poverty rate, too many workers are just scraping by in the gig economy. They can’t buy the goods businesses are selling if they have no expendable income.)

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education rally in Tucson

What Is Our Goal for Education in Arizona? (video)

education rally in Tucson

Funding for education at all levels — but particularly for k-12 public education — has been a HOT button issue in Arizona since Governor Jan Brewer and her henchman, ousted Senate President Russell “SB1070” Pierce, started mercilessly slashing education in 2010, at the dawn of the Tea Party Revolution in Arizona.

After six years of Tea Party cuts to public ed and six years of legislative gifts to private schools, charter schools, and big corporations, in general, Arizona’s education system is on the ropes– demoralized and penniless.

Frustrated parents are angry. Demoralized teachers are leaving Arizona in droves. Aging school buildings are crumbling and dangerous. Contentious schools boards are arguing over how to spend the scraps.

Although some come to school hungry, our children soldier on everyday. Are they learning in this financially and emotionally stressed environment?

No one can pretend that this scenario is anywhere near optimum. Why has this situation been allowed to develop? Our current education system was created by budget cuts based upon right-wing, anti-government ideology and not on what is best for the families and children of Arizona– or what is best for our state as a whole.

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Pamela Powers Hannley & Ana Henderson Ven Diagram

Who Is Ana Henderson? (video)

Pamela Powers Hannley & Ana Henderson Ven Diagram
When I won the August primary, one local reporter suggested that I won in large part because I am a woman– the implication being that women vote for women. In fact, the largest voting block– by far– among Democrats in LD9 is women. Since I am running against a woman and another Clean Elections candidate in the General Election, I created this handy Election Day ven diagram showing very clearly that Ana Henderson and I have very different stances on the issues. In particular, I want the women of LD9 to know where we both stand on women’s rights.

Matt Heinz, Brian Bickel, and I have something in common. We’re all running against Republican women who are running stealth campaigns and hiding their opinions from the voters.

Heinz is running for Congressional District 2 against Congresswoman Martha McSally who is infamous for dodging questions and debates. Bickel is running for Pima County Supervisor against incumbent Ally Miller, who refused to be interviewed by the Arizona Daily Star (and other media outlets) for their candidate series. For the LD9 seat, I am running against Tea Party candidate Ana Henderson who is hoping that $5500 worth of giant signs featuring her and her dog (but not her party affiliation or any detauls about her) will convince voters to back her.

If my website stats are any indication, voters want to know where candidates stand on the issues. Leading up to primary voting day on August 30, my website stats were booming, and the page visitors went to most often– after the home page– was the Issues tab. (Inquiring minds want to know.)

Unfortunately, Henderson didn’t answer AZCentral’s candidate questionnaire this summer, didn’t show up to the LD9 interview with the Arizona Daily Star a few weeks ago, and didn’t attend the Pima County Interfaith Council (PCIC) candidate forum this past Sunday. More than 500 people — most representing local churches or charitable organizations like the Community Food Bank and Literacy Connects– attended the PCIC event hoping to hear multiple candidates speak about public education, hunger, and drugs.  Now the question is: Will Henderson show up for the LD9 Clean Elections Debate on October 14 or pay the no-show fine?

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