Tag Archives: living wage

Meet Our Candidates: Diego Rodriguez for State Representative, LD 27

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The time to fight back — and fight forward — for reproductive justice is fast approaching. The stakes are high in this year’s state election, with candidates for governor, secretary of state, attorney general, and other races on the ballot. The Arizona primary election will be held August 28, 2018, and early voting began on August 2. Voters need to have been registered by July 30 to cast their ballots. Reproductive health has been under attack, both nationally and statewide, but Planned Parenthood Advocates of Arizona has endorsed candidates who put our health and our rights first. Get to know them now in our series of “Meet Our Candidates” interviews, and make your voice heard in 2018!

[D]iego Rodriguez is a passionate advocate for civil and human rights — whether he’s fighting for his clients as a defense attorney, or he’s fighting for working families. As a lifelong resident of Arizona’s Legislative District 27, he has centered his life on service to his community. In today’s political climate, LD 27 needs a leader who is willing to stand up and say “Enough!”

“The current political climate demands that we stand up for what we believe in.”

Legislative District 27 includes South Phoenix and Laveen and has historically been a solid Democratic stronghold. In recent years, however, Catherine Miranda, an opponent of abortion rights, has represented LD 27 — and has failed her constituents, the majority of whom support full access to reproductive health care.

When it comes to women’s health and medically accurate sex education, there is no question that Mr. Rodriguez will stand for Arizonans’ well being. LD 27 is home to a strong team of candidates who have earned Planned Parenthood Advocates of Arizona’s support. We have endorsed Diego Rodriguez and Reginald Bolding to fill the district’s two House seats, and Rebecca Rios to represent LD 27 in the Senate.

While catching up with the busy candidate, on August 2, 2018, he graciously answered some questions regarding his campaign and his vision for Arizona. Continue reading →

Meet Our Candidates: Matthew Marquez for State Senator, LD 20

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The time to fight back — and fight forward — for reproductive justice is fast approaching. The stakes are high in this year’s state election, with candidates for governor, secretary of state, attorney general, and other races on the ballot. The Arizona primary election will be held August 28, 2018, and early voting began on August 2. Voters need to have been registered by July 30 to cast their ballots. Reproductive health has been under attack, both nationally and statewide, but Planned Parenthood Advocates of Arizona has endorsed candidates who put our health and our rights first. Get to know them now in our series of “Meet Our Candidates” interviews, and make your voice heard in 2018!

[L]egislative District 20 represents Northwest Phoenix and is a little on the red side; however, it had one of the highest early return rates for Democratic early votes in the 2016 election and the Congressional District 8 special election has galvanized networks, voters, and Democrats — which is a new feeling for Legislative District 20.

“I want to create change with you and be a voice for you.”

There are two contenders in the state Senate race, both completing our intersectional endorsement questionnaire with a score of 100 percent. The PPAA Board of Directors brings together a wide range of community members in making election decisions. Together, they evaluate candidates and campaigns to determine how to invest the dollars of our donors — and the sweat of our volunteers. PPAA supports candidates willing to stand and fight with Planned Parenthood, and given the current political environment with the reactivation of so many grassroots voters, we’re looking to Matthew Marquez to take the Senate seat in Legislative District 20, which is currently held by Sen. Michelle Yee, an infamous opponent of Planned Parenthood.

Mr. Marquez was gracious enough to share his responses with us as he took a break from campaigning on July 30, 2018.

Please tell us a little about your background and why you’re running for office right now in this political climate.

My story begins here, in Phoenix, with my mother. As a single parent, she took on the role of both my mother and my father, working several jobs but still making sure she was there in the morning to take us to school. She took my brother and I to all our practices and games, and supported us wholeheartedly. I don’t know how she did it but I know we had what we needed. My story, unfortunately, is not unique. Continue reading →

Meet Our Candidates: Marcus Ferrell for State Representative, LD 24

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The time to fight back — and fight forward — for reproductive justice is fast approaching. The stakes are high in this year’s state election, with candidates for governor, secretary of state, attorney general, and other races on the ballot. The Arizona primary election will be held August 28, 2018, and early voting began on August 2. Voters need to have been registered by July 30 to cast their ballots. Reproductive health has been under attack, both nationally and statewide, but Planned Parenthood Advocates of Arizona has endorsed candidates who put our health and our rights first. Get to know them now in our series of “Meet Our Candidates” interviews, and make your voice heard in 2018!

[M]arcus Ferrell is a pragmatic yet fearless House of Representatives candidate from Legislative District 24, which encompasses the core of Central Phoenix. The majority of the district is located between 7th Avenue and 7th Street, with additional pockets of voters outside of the historic districts.

LD 24 is home to tremendous diversity, which generally produces many candidates. This cycle is no different, with seven candidates running for two seats. Although these candidates are impressive, and the district would benefit from any of them, one hopeful stood out from the pack: Marcus Ferrell.

“We must stand up to anyone who wants to roll back a woman’s right to choose.”

Marcus Ferrell is a driven candidate with an exciting campaign. Mr. Ferrell, a political strategist by trade, has taken ideas that have been successful for his winning clients and is applying them to his own campaign. It was while working on the Stacey Abrams campaign for governor of Georgia that he felt compelled to run for his home district here in Arizona.

Pushing a progressive and intersectional agenda, he’s long been an advocate for women. As one of the few candidates to have worked at an abortion clinic in his early days, Mr. Ferrell has first-hand knowledge of what our health care staff goes through every day. He has witnessed the harassment our patients face just getting to the door of our health centers, whether from protesters with bullhorns or politicians enacting burdensome laws.

With the primary on the horizon — and with early voting already underway — Mr. Ferrell was kind enough to offer his vision for Arizona to us on July 30, 2018. Continue reading →

Fear and Loathing: This Election

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The following guest post comes to us via Kelley Dupps, public policy manager for Planned Parenthood Advocates of Arizona.

This Election. This Election! This bleeping Election! I can’t even with This Election. This Election even has its own diagnosis: Election Anxiety Disorder. Super. Now pharmaceuticals can be part of the mix!

As a political scientist and avid armchair psychologist, I found myself dumbstruck at times these past 23 months. At other times, I was screaming flamboyant curse words at the debate screen, all while trying to keep up with Twitter.

This Election engendered many descriptions from the field, too:

  • dumpster fire
  • lesser of two evils is still evil
  • liar
  • loser
  • low-energy
  • “bleep” show
  • cluster “bleep”
  • bigly

And now, on Election Eve, I can honestly say I am grateful for This Election. Grateful?! Makes me sound like a privileged jerk, but This Election forced America to have a long conversation with itself answering (or not) some questions. Continue reading →