The PCDP newsletter is back! We took a short break over the summer, but we didn’t stop our work at Headquarters. Quite the opposite!
We started June with two virtual Ward Forums, one for Ward 3 and one for Ward 6. Both were a success as people got a chance to hear the Democratic candidates for the City primary election, which was held on August 3rd.
Our final, Democratic candidates for the City election are:
- Ward 3 – Kevin Dahl
- Ward 5 – Richard Fimbres
- Ward 6 – Steve Kozachik
Wards 3 and 6 have Republican and Independent challengers for the General Election; Ward 5 does not. The General Election on November 2nd is a city wide, mail-in election. Because of these challengers, we can’t take any victory for granted! It is as important as ever that we Get Out the Vote!
July was our busiest month so far this year. We started July with an HQ opening event; up until that point, HQ was open by appointment only. Unfortunately, just as we reopened, the Delta variant raised its ugly head. We are still open, but masks are required inside. It’s an important reminder that the pandemic is still a very real threat, and it’s critical that we continue to treat it seriously and not slack off when it comes to being safe.
Our next event in July was the “We CAN (Climate Action Now) Fundraiser” featuring Dr. Michael Mann. Arizona Corporate Commissioner Sandra Kennedy also spoke about what is happening in Arizona regarding climate change. This was a virtual fundraiser, with an in-person VIP event for our sponsors and Catalina Democrats at HQ.
The latest events concern the referendum petitions. PCDP is a depot for the Arizona Deserves Better (ADB) and Invest in Arizona (IIA) referendum petitions. ADB and IIA are both campaigns spearheading referendum drives to challenge some bad bills passed by the AZ Senate. The Arizona Deserves Better petitions address voter suppression laws, while Invest in Arizona petitions address state tax laws that defund public education. There are six total petitions, with a deadline of September 15th to get all signatures in. Check our website, pimadems.org/petitions, for more information about the petitions. You can also use https://linktr.ee/TAGGAZ to find signing events at PCDP and elsewhere.
Our ADP Project 15/30 Field Organizers, Lauren Burson and Vivian Morrison, started in July. ADP believes field organizing is a year-round activity, which I couldn’t agree with more. Their main goals are voter registration, party building, and helping with redistricting, and they have already started working with the LDs on these critical projects.
August 21st was PCDP’s annual Committee meeting. There were three matters we needed to vote on, with the most important being the election of new Officers. We also passed changes to the PCDP Platform and By-Laws. ADP Chairwoman Raquel Terán spoke to us about ADP’s strategy going into the 2022 election cycle and stressed the importance of registering voters to close the vote gap.
I’ve been telling our LD Chairs over and over again, there is no “off” year. This year we have a city election, which is key for our 2022 election strategy to Get Out the Vote. In addition, we need to get the required signatures for the referendum petitions in order to put a stop to these horrible bills that were passed in this year’s legislative session. Only with your support can we achieve these goals and ensure we get Democrats elected up and down the ballot, and keep up the fight to better the lives of the people of Pima County.
Bonnie Heidler
Chair of the Pima County Democratic Party