Meet Our Candidates: Brandon Dwyer for State Representative, LD 15

Posted on September 20, 2016 by Daphne T.

The Arizona general election will be held on November 8, 2016. Reproductive health care access has been under attack, both nationally and statewide, but Planned Parenthood Advocates of Arizona has endorsed candidates who have shown strong commitment to reproductive justice. To acquaint you with our endorsed candidates, we are running a series called “Meet Our Candidates.” In order to vote in the election, you must register to vote by October 10 — and can even register online. Make your voice heard in 2016!

[B]randon Dwyer is running for the Arizona House of Representatives in Legislative District 15. LD 15 covers the northwest, north, and northeast areas of Phoenix and has approximately 133,019 registered voters. Mr. Dwyer would like to see Arizona level the playing field for all citizens with regard to education. He believes in equal access for all regardless of race, color, religion, creed, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, ancestry, age, veteran status, disability, or military service.

“The state should not be between me and my doctor.”

Mr. Dwyer generously shared time with Planned Parenthood Advocates of Arizona through an in-person interview on September 10, 2016, to discuss his background and his campaign.

Tell us a little about your background.

I lived in Oregon for 26 years before moving to Phoenix in 2005 to attend the Motorcycle Mechanics Institute. After I graduated, I moved to Texas, where I lived and worked for 10 years. I missed Phoenix, so I made the decision to move back and make Arizona my home. I became actively involved in politics as a member of Democracy for America. I was a precinct committeeman for four years and served as the legislative district committee chair for LD 15 from 2014 until early this year, when I decided to run for office. Continue reading →

Meet Our Candidates: Tonya MacBeth for State Senator, LD 15

Posted on August 16, 2016 by Daphne T.

The Arizona primary election will be held on August 30, 2016. Reproductive health care access has been under attack, both nationally and statewide, but Planned Parenthood Advocates of Arizona has endorsed candidates who have shown strong commitment to reproductive justice. To acquaint you with our endorsed candidates, we are running a series called “Meet Our Candidates.” In order to vote in the primary election, you need to have been registered to vote by August 1. Missed the deadline? You can still register online for November’s general election. Make your voice heard in 2016!

[T]onya MacBeth is running for the state Senate in Arizona’s Legislative District 15. LD 15 covers the northwest, north, and northeast areas of the Valley with approximately 133,019 registered voters. In 2012 and 2014, Republican candidate Nancy Barto did not have a Democratic challenger. However, this year Tonya MacBeth is putting up a fight for Democrats in the district.

“Without appropriate sexuality education, being a teenager is harder than it has to be.”

Ms. MacBeth generously shared time with Planned Parenthood Advocates of Arizona in person over coffee at the Urban Beans and Cafe on July 15, 2016, to discuss her background and her campaign

Tell us a little about your background.

I have lived in Arizona for more than 40 years, arriving here as a toddler. I attended both public and private schools in Phoenix, and graduated from Camelback High School. I received my undergraduate degree from the University of Arizona, and returned to Phoenix and married my husband Doug. Doug is a retired Phoenix firefighter/paramedic. We have been married for 25 years and live in Cave Creek with our two children, Hannah and Jacob. Continue reading →

Meet Our Candidates: Patricia Flickner for State Representative, LD 15

Posted on September 20, 2012 by Planned Parenthood Advocates of Arizona

The Arizona general election will be held on November 6, 2012, with early voting starting on October 11. After the many recent legislative challenges to reproductive health care access, both nationally and statewide, the importance of voting in November can’t be overstated. To help voters, Planned Parenthood Advocates of Arizona has endorsed candidates who have shown strong commitment to reproductive health and freedom. Along with those endorsements, we are spotlighting our endorsed candidates in a series called “Meet Our Candidates.” To vote in the general election, you must register to vote by October 9 — and can even register online. Make your voice heard in 2012!

[O]n everything you see put out by Patricia Flickner, there is the tagline that states, “Talk to me, I’ll listen.” It is evident in every way that it is not just a line for her; it is how she serves. The interview she afforded us is below, and I think it clearly shows this aspect of not only who she is as a candidate; also who she is as a person and what it means to her to act in the role of representative.

“The biggest problem with this latest spate of legislation is that it assumes that doctors coerce women and women cannot be trusted.”

She took the time more than once to correspond and speak with Planned Parenthood Advocates of Arizona, and each time it felt as though we were carrying on a conversation with someone worthy of being called “friend.” There is no sense that she is seeking this position for anything other than to help create necessary change, even if it costs her campaign dollars and potential re-election. This woman is very genuine, and very much lives by the ideals of what it means to serve. It is tremendously exciting and refreshing!

Flickner is the sole pro-women’s health candidate running for the House in Legislative District 15 in north Phoenix, running against Republican opponents John Allen and Heather Carter. Because of the views of the other candidates in the LD 15 House election, Planned Parenthood Advocates of Arizona is recommending a “single-shot vote” for Patricia Flickner. This interview took place on September 13, 2012, and was conducted by Planned Parenthood Advocates of Arizona volunteer Liza Love.

Tell us a little about your background.

I am an Army veteran, business leader, wife, mother of four grown children, and grandmother of 11 (the newest was just born on September 11). I have lived in Phoenix in the same house for the past 15 years. I love technology, kids, animals — especially horses — and motorcycles, and not necessarily in that order. Continue reading →