With the Arizona Supreme Court’s decision to knock the Invest in Ed and Outlaw Dirty Money initiatives off the November ballot, the stakes in the election became much higher. Progressive and Centrist Democrats need to unite with Independents and disaffected Republicans on a forward-looking program that votes out the reactionary zealots in the Party of the KKK-endorsed candidate starting with the Governor, all the Republican state officeholders, and Republican legislators.
They do not even hide their contempt for democracy, clean elections, or people that are not white. It is time to rally and turn out in November and launch an Arizona Blue Wave.
Below are the links to the profiles of Democratic Candidates interviewed up until August 21, 2018. Future profiles will be added for study. Please use this valuable resource to help make the best-informed choice when you vote in August either via a mail-in ballot or in person on August 28, 2018. Above all, please do not forget to vote. There are many exceptional Democratic candidates to consider so please take the time to vote for the ones that you feel will best move your local community and the state forward.
For Immediate Release MEDIA Contact: Laura Enriquez
July 18, 2018 520.358.3331 / lasadelitas@gmail.com
Phoenix, Arizona – Las Adelitas Arizona PAC – a political action committee that encourages Latinas in Arizona to participate in the political process and support progressive issues – today announced their endorsements of several candidates running for office throughout Arizona.
“Today, we are pleased to announce Las Adelitas Arizona PAC’s endorsement of 21 outstanding candidates,” said Las Adelitas Arizona Board Chair Jennifer Allen. “These candidates have all demonstrated a commitment to improving the lives of Latinas and their families.”
For the past 12 years, Las Adelitas Arizona PAC has been working to open up the political process for Latinas in Arizona to ensure that political leaders are more reflective of the racially diverse communities they represent.
“In 2018, more than ever, Arizona is poised to elect the most diverse representatives in state history. We at Las Adelitas are proud to endorse candidates who will fight for job equality, health rights, quality education and a government that is open to all,” said Allen. “They are leaders on the critical issues facing our community and we are proud to consider themAdelitas.”
Las Adelitas were the women soldiers who fought along men during the Mexican revolution of 1910. These women sacrificed their lives to fight for and defend their beliefs. Today, the spirit and image of Las Adelitas has come to represent the broader struggles for social justice and equality that Las Adelitas Arizona works for every day by recruiting, educating and mobilizing Latinas to participate in the political process and supporting progressive issues of impact to Latinas in Arizona.
Photo courtesy of Maricopa County Democratic Party
About 700 excited and enthusiastic Democratic activists, including many candidates, precinct captains, and Legislative District chairpersons, filled the auditorium at the Performing Arts Center of Horizon High School in Paradise Valley on June 30 to attend the Summer Convention of the Maricopa Democratic Party.
They heard speakers including the County Party Leadership, Maricopa County State Representatives Kelli Butler and Mitzi Epstein, House Representative Ruben Gallego, the three Democratic Gubernatorial Candidates (Farley, Fryer, and Garcia), Maricopa County Recorder Adrian Fontes, and Guest Speaker Senator Jeff Merkley of Oregon.
Maricopa County Democratic Party Chair Steven Slugocki speaking at June 30 Maricopa County Summer Convention; photo courtesy of Maricopa County Democratic Party.
The gathered assemblage conveyed an optimistic mood, cheering when Maricopa County Party Leader Steven Slugocki proclaimed that the “Blue Wave starts here” in the “largest Battleground County.”
He happily reported that the Democratic Party has surged in growth since 2016, citing examples of the quadrupling in the number of Precinct Captains in some Legislative Districts (with LD 18, for example exploding with 254 of which I have to disclose I am one) and legislative offices.
Slugocki also relayed that there has been a surge in the number of candidates. In 2014, the Democrats recruited 55 people to run and there were some positions where Republicans ran unopposed, today there are 75 people running and all legislative offices are being contested. LD 23 was singled out for being the district that gathered the most ballot signatures and LD 12 for the most voter registrations.
AZ House Candidate Catherine slammed incumbent Clodfelter for his “harmful, hurtful and horrific” display of the Confederate flag.
Arizona state House candidate Catherine Ripley vowed to bring her military and diplomatic experience to the Legislature, focusing on the state’s looming water shortage, and promoting renewable energy.
A Democrat, she is in the crowded field running for AZ House in Legislative District 10 on the north and east sides of Tucson.
She spoke at the recent Democrats of Greater Tucson meeting, and said she would call on her 26 years’ of experience as a naval officer, including tours in anti-submarine warfare during the Cold War and at Special Operations Command fighting the war on terror.
She is also a former US diplomat, serving in embassies in Madagascar, Africa, and The Hague, where she worked on national security issues after the 9-11 attack.
“The state Legislature needs more people with a wider spectrum of background and education to make a difference in Phoenix, and to speak for people who can’t speak for themselves,” she said.
