12 Spotlight candidates and additional investments will boost Democrats’ chances in Arizona in November
WASHINGTON — Today, the Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee unveiled 12 Spotlight candidates running in critical races across Arizona and an additional $223K investment to break the Republican majorities. These target races include 8 House candidates and 4 Senate candidates that will serve as a guidepost as the DLCC aims to gain 2 seats in each chamber to flip the Arizona legislature and help Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs deliver the progress Arizonans deserve.
DLCC’s 2024 Spotlight Candidates In Arizona Are:
- Stephanie Simacek (LD-2, House)
- Karen Gresham (LD-4, House)
- Rep. Seth Blattman (LD-9, House)
- Nicholas Gonzales (LD-13, House)
- Brandy Reese (LD-13, House)
- Rep. Keith Seaman (LD-16, House)
- Kevin Volk (LD-17, House)
- Rep. Judy Schwiebert (LD-2, Senate)
- Sen. Christine Marsh (LD-4, Senate)
- Sharon Winters (LD-13, Senate)
- Stacey Seaman (LD-16, Senate)
- John McLean (LD-17, Senate)
Arizona is a state that will be a tough battleground at all levels of the ballot in 2024, which is why the DLCC began investing in early infrastructure for state legislative races starting last December. Our latest investment of over $223,000 builds further on that early support and will help candidates continue to hire staff to knock doors, support voter contact, build strong digital operations, and more.
To watch the press conference with DLCC President Heather Williams and Spotlight candidates in Arizona marking the launch of our slate of target races and new investment, click here.
Both the Arizona House and Senate are top DLCC targets, and voters have a pivotal opportunity in November to finally flip the legislature from Republican control. Democratic control and leadership in these chambers are essential for keeping the extreme agenda of the Republican Party in check. Republicans exemplified the dangers of their majority power this year by wasting precious time dilly-dallying to rectify the egregious 1864 abortion ban, failing to guarantee contraception access, threatening to legalize murder against migrants, and attacking democracy itself. Over the last several cycles, the DLCC and our partners have made a multi-million dollar investment to bring Democrats within striking distance of the legislative majorities in Arizona as Democrats have made major inroads with winning statewide offices.
Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee President Heather Williams issued the following statement:
“The 8 House and 4 Senate candidates we’re unveiling in Arizona represent some of the strongest opportunities and critical races to flip both chambers in one of the toughest battleground states. Arizona will be competitive at all levels of the ballot and our Spotlight candidates are running tough races that could come down to a handful of votes. That’s why we’re building on our earlier investments and moving immediate additional support for state legislative candidates in Arizona to boost Democrats’ chances of flipping the state blue this fall.
“It’s no exaggeration to say that 2024 is the most important year in state legislative campaign history. State legislatures are on the frontlines of shaping the issues that matter most – from abortion to democracy, LGBTQ+ rights, gun safety, and more. The future landscape of rights for Arizonans hangs in the balance in 2024 – and the DLCC is committed to safeguarding Arizonans’ future as we position state legislatures at the forefront of shaping the national Democratic agenda across the country.”
Arizona Senator and ADLCC Board Chair Priya Sundareshan
- “Arizona is the closest we’ve ever been to achieving this Democratic trifecta. So we’re gonna leave everything on the field this year. We must protect Arizonans from the MAGA extremism that has taken root. And the only way to do that is to flip the state legislature and protect the rights and freedoms that voters hold most dear.”
Spotlight Candidate Rep. Judy Schwiebert, running for Senate in LD-2
- “This seat is too essential to lose. Should Republicans win, we can expect more extremist policies that attack our freedom to vote, our freedom to make our own decisions about our own bodies, and attacks on our teachers and public schools. My neighborhood, LD-2, and Arizona deserve better. That’s why I’m running to bring common sense solutions and pass policies that are necessary and will protect the freedoms of everyone. We are the closest we’ve ever been this year to gaining a Dem[ocratic] majority at the state legislature.”
Spotlight Candidate Nicholas Gonzales, running for House in LD-13
- “I’ve knocked on about 4,000 doors so far. I think part of what we hear in these battleground districts from voters is that they are tired of politicians who are there to yell and to scream and to whine…people in our communities are really tired of the whining and they are really just ready for people to focus on the future and how to make their lives better.”
Spotlight Candidate Kevin Volk, running for House in LD-17
- “What we’ve seen in the current state legislature is a trend towards extreme policies that are not serving the broad majority of everyday Arizonans and are not serving our kids. We see it growing. The educator and teacher shortage that has been identified for the past eight years, but gets worse and worse due to chronic underfunding of our schools, where we’re 49th in the country in school funding. We’ve got to turn this around, and that’s a big part of why I’m running.”
The DLCC is the official arm of the Democratic Party with the sole mission of building Democratic power in the states and setting the national agenda at the state level. Over the last decade, we have fought cycle-over-cycle to gain a dozen new legislative chamber majorities and we are leading the effort to bring national attention and investment to our ballot level. State legislatures are the building blocks of our democracy and have the closest connections to Americans’ day-to-day lives. From protecting fundamental freedoms and voting rights to growing the middle class, the DLCC and state legislators are moving the Democratic agenda forward and shaping the future of this country.
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