Democrats must be feeling very confident in the 2024 election cycle.
Rather than run a single-shot candidate in the Arizona Legislative District (LD) 13 House race like they did in the last cycle and earlier when the district was LD 17 with acclaimed Representative Jennifer Pawlik, the Democrats have decided to field two candidates in 2024. They are Brandy Reese and Nicholas Gonzales.
If elected to the State House with Ms. Reese, Mr. Gonzales, an urban planner, will focus on:
- Affordability, especially about housing.
- Fully supporting public education.
- Making sure women have full reproductive freedom and healthcare choices.
Mr. Gonzales graciously took the time to respond to questions about his candidacy.
The questions and his responses are below.
- Please tell the readers at least two reasons you have decided to run for the LD 13 State House Seat in 2024.
“The first reason is that I grew up in LD 13. I grew up in the district. I went to elementary school in Chandler. I graduated from Chandler High School. I have been through the public education system here in Arizona, specifically there in the district. My personal belief is that a community is best represented by an individual from that community. Having been raised by the LD13 Community, I felt I was in the best position to best represent the people of LD 13.”
“The second reason I decided to run is after getting my degree in Urban Planning from ASU and then attending Law School in San Francisco, I’ve come back to my hometown. I’m doing work in affordable housing as a community planner. I’m working with the community to ensure that development needs are being met and in the best interest of future residents. With my professional background in planning and affordable housing, I feel prepared with the skill sets to really make an impact and make a difference here in our state, primarily with the affordable housing crisis. I feel I’m in a position to really make positive change in affordable housing and in my community.”
Please tell us what are at least three issues are at least you’ll be running on in this election.
“I want to expand on affordable housing. One of my key issues is affordability in general. So not just focusing on the affordable housing aspect of living here in Arizona, but also ensuring that our Healthcare is affordable, and a standard of living is supported so that residents can afford to live, buy groceries, and really make LD 13 and the City of Chandler a more affordable place to live like when I grew up there.”
“Another issue that I’ll be focusing on is education. I have been through the Arizona public school system. I have a 14-year-old son who actually has just started at Chandler High School. It is important for me to support our public schools to ensure that not only my son, and his classmates, have what they need as far as an education to thrive and be successful after high school, but also ensuring that his teachers and educators have the tools and funding that they need to provide effective and productive education.”
“The third focus is going to be securing our reproductive freedoms here in Arizona. I’m basing my campaign platform off of equity and equality and the fact that as a man, I’m able to make all of my healthcare decisions without the influence of my legislators or my government. It is certainly troubling that women here in Arizona do not have that same right so purely based off of that equity standpoint of my campaign, I’ll be focusing on ensuring that we are securing those reproductive freedoms for women here in Arizona.”
What is your position on funding the police?
“My position on funding the police is first, ensuring that we’re promoting communication and collaboration with law enforcement and then identifying actual and practical needs of our law enforcement. I’m not a believer in defunding the police. I’m a believer in providing funding for our first responders and for our public services that make sense and that is in the best interest of our community. I certainly do believe there are reasons and ways to fund law enforcement, but I certainly also want to make sure we’re doing it in a way that makes sense for the Community first.”
What is your position on border security?
“I actually have some experience at the border as a legal observer when I was in law school. I did work on both sides of the border in Nogales and in California. My first-hand opinion on border security is I think the challenges faced at the border are primarily a result of a lack of collaboration between the government agencies and nonprofits working at the border. I believe improving concerns at the border is only going to happen by supporting that communication and collaboration between those government agencies and nonprofits doing work there.”
- Why should voters pick you and Brandy Reese over your two Republican opponents? Please explain.
“I would say because we are out making genuine connections with the community and with people at the door. We are really making a concerted effort to not only show the community and to show voters that we care and have the passion, have the dedication to get the job done, but because we are making those connections and we’re really listening to what the voters and the constituency or constituents have to say, I believe that is putting us in a better position to represent because we’re taking the time to understand what LD13 residents need and want. Our primary focus is understanding those challenges and those issues where I’m at least not seeing that being the primary focus for our opponents.”
- Please explain how your campaign will persuade Democrats, Independents, and like-minded Republicans like McCain Republicans to support your candidacy and turn out for you.
“I like to tell people the doors that I’m running as an Arizona focused on the concerns and priorities of Arizonans. I believe I’m showing that with the work that I’ve been doing when it comes to developing affordable housing, you have all types of different stakeholders at the table with all types of different political backgrounds and views.”
“Where I’ve been able to achieve getting the job done for the community is by collaborating with those stakeholders and finding ways of having everybody work together to get a development done that fits the community best. I believe because of my background in housing in particular and also just the genuine connections I’m making with the community, I feel that that’s putting me in the position where that’s what Independents and like-minded Republicans are looking for. I think they’re looking for somebody willing to do the work it takes to get the job done for Arizonans and not focus too much on the political stalemate between Republicans and Democrats.”
Is there anything not covered in the first four questions that you would like the readers to know about you and your candidacy for one of the LD 13 State House seats? Please explain.
“I would certainly just like this opportunity to give a holistic overview of my background. I grew up in the district in Chandler. I graduated from Chandler High School and then earned my degree at ASU in urban planning. That then brought me out to San Francisco for Law School. I then returned to the Phoenix area where I was getting more involved in the affordable housing crisis.”
“Most recently, I was chair of the City of Phoenix Central City Village Planning Committee where I was advising on developments being proposed within the City of Phoenix. Again, with my son going to Chandler High School I have my mom also working really hard to find a way to retire in the city of Chandler in particular. So those two people in particular are my biggest passions and certainly the inspiration behind running.”
Please click here to find out more information about Nicholas Gonzales and his candidacy for one of the Arizona LD 13 House Seats.
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