Today is primary day 2020, August 4. It’s obviously been a rough year for humanity with the COVID19 pandemic, which was made more deadly by bungled governmental responses worldwide.
The 2020 election — already historic in importance — is layered on top of a public health crisis of epic proportions.
Take a deep breath. We will get through this. As I have said many times, the world will be different at the end of Coronavirus tunnel. Our future is like a five-point Likert Scale, which ranges from Significantly Better than the “Before Times” to Significantly Worse, with a neutral/no change center choice. I don’t think “no change” is possible. Too many people have died. Too many broken systems have fallen apart. I strongly believe that it is up to those of us who were dissatisfied with the status quo before COVID19 to come together to envision and create a more equitable and more sustainable world — one based on respect, cooperation and environmental stewardship, rather than based on greed, power and profit.
PACs, SuperPACs, and wealthy Arizonans are spending heavily in the Legislative races in 2020 because they have gotten richer and more powerful while “small” government/big tax break Republicans have been in control. They really don’t like outspoken Clean Elections candidates like me because I don’t take dirty money or any PAC money. I vote on your behalf — not on behalf of wealthy donors, special interest groups or big corporations. I am the only person in the Arizona House who voted against every tax giveaway in the last four years because I believe the Arizona Legislature should fund the People’s To-Do List — education, healthcare, infrastructure, and safety and security — and not the corporate wish list. I can’t be bought, and they know it. That is why Big Money is playing in the LD9 race and bankrolling my young Republican, Chamber of Commerce opponent with tens of thousands of dollars in donations.
I beat all of my challengers by significant margins — Democrats and Republicans — in 2016 and 2018, and I plan to beat this guy, too, with your help.
A Time for Gratitude…
Right now, I’d like to take a few minutes for gratitude and thank the many volunteers, precinct committee members, petition signers, $5 donors, voters, and LD9 officers for helping me get on the ballot, helping my collect my Clean Elections $5 Qualifying Contributions, and offering encouraging words in virtual meetings and on social media.
In 2019, the first session of the 54th Legislature ended on Memorial Day. Almost immediately, I started collecting signatures for the 2020 ballot. I wanted to be done collecting signatures and $5 contributions for Clean Elections before the 2020 session started in January. The timing was tight because the Legislature had voted to move the primary election date up to early August, and a couple of fall canvassing snafus left me short on signatures by January. That’s where my supporters stepped in to help.
Between July 2019 and February 2020, the multiple LD9 house parties, the LD9 events, the postcard parties, LD9 email blasts to promote signing candidate petitions online, and personal neighborhood canvasses by volunteers brought in hundreds of signatures and $5 CCEC donations. It was heartwarming to receive so many completed petitions trickle in from volunteers while I was in session in Phoenix.
I thank you all from the bottom of my heart. Those early events and personal neighborhood canvasses helped me significantly. They took the pressure off of me, after the COVID19 virus hit Arizona and canvassing and events were shut down.
A special thank you to…
I know it’s dangerous to list people for fear that I will miss someone. (Please accept my apologies in advance if I miss you.)
House Party Hosts
- Teresa Gerschutz
- Donald and Patricia Klein
- Anne and Robert Segal
- Jim Reeves and Suzann Mohr
- And to the PCs who helped organize these successful events and to people who volunteered to have house parties that didn’t happen due to the virus.
Postcard Party Mavens
- Beth Britton
- Jenise Porter
- Barbara Cain
- Carolyn Saunders
- Catherine Mullaugh
- Barbara Warren
- Susan Bickel
- Maggie Winchell
- Kathy O’Neil
Canvassing Crusaders
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- Jim Hannley
- Alison Jones
- Tamar Rala K
- Lori Cinnamond
- Barbara Warren
- Jenise Porter
- Eve Shapiro
- Antar Davidson
- Teresa Gerschutz
- Martin Drozdoff
- Barbara Cain
- Karen Robbins
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- James Behra
- Janet Gingold
- Susan Bickel
- Peggy Altfater
- Susan Adams
- John Achoukian
- Martha Windahl
- John O’Hare
- Ellen Toigo
- Marlene Verdery
- Barbara Wayne
- Linda Horowitz
- Nancy Koff
- Lance Ussery
- Susan Moreno
- Karen Harris
- Lynne Hudson
- Philip Marsh
- Suzanne King
- Robbie Dick (RIP, Robbie.)
- Mary Keerins
- Wendy Reed
- Dianne Coscarelli
- Gene Fisher
- JoJene Mills
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- LD9 Behind-the-Scenes Backbone (besides the volunteers listed above)
- Kim Holaway (chair)
- Nathan Bacal (first vice chair)
- Marlene Bluestein (second vice chair)
- Brian Bickel (treasurer)
- Michael Dues (secretary)
- Susan Bickel (corresponding secretary)
- Eve Shapiro and J.P. Martin (PCDP Executive Committee representatives)
- Evalyn Bennet-Alder
- Terry Chandler
- Tom McConnell
- Mary Theroux
- Melinda Ontiveros
- Jane Lassar
- Susan Gray
Please vote today — August 4 — in the primary and again on or before November 3 in the general elections.
- LD9 Behind-the-Scenes Backbone (besides the volunteers listed above)