The Pima County Democratic Party would like to extend our deepest condolences to the family of former State Senator David Bradley, who died Saturday at the age of 69.
Senator Bradley served the people of Arizona for 16 years, serving in the House from 2003 to 2011 and the Senate from 2013 to 2020. In his last two years in office, he also served as the state Senate minority leader.
According to a statement from the Arizona Senate Democrats, “Senator Bradley was a passionate, dedicated and kind public servant and orator who was well respected by his colleagues on both sides of the aisle. He used his words sparingly but powerfully, and you could often hear a pin drop when he spoke on issues he cared about on the Senate floor. Senator Bradley was the epitome of a public servant, the likes of which are truly rare today.”
In addition to his work in the state legislature, Senator Bradley also contributed greatly to his community here in Pima County with his work for La Frontera Arizona (a non-profit that provides mental health treatment services in Pima County) and with the Pima County Democratic Party. His hard work, dedication and leadership as a former PCDP Chair resulted in our headquarters building to provide a physical space for the PCDP to live out our values.
Senator Bradley will be greatly missed, and we hope to carry on his legacy here at PCDP by mobilizing voters and speaking out about early childhood education, healthcare, and water issues.
Elaine was a strong, independent woman. Her friendly personality and sunny smile radiated warmth and she always lit up the room.
Prior to coming to Tucson, Elaine maintained a private law practice before joining the NY City Corporation Council’s Office practicing in Queens County Family Court and eventually as a Support Magistrate in the NY State Family Court. Elaine retired and moved with her husband Bob to Tucson in 2004.
Elaine demonstrated her commitment to the shared values, policies, and goals of the Democratic Party. She helped in the election of candidates at the local, state, and Federal levels with her boundless energy, her “all hands on deck” attitude, and her eager, hands-on involvement. She was a gracious host for numerous Meet and Greet candidate fundraising parties over the years.
Always eager to take on new challenges, Elaine and Bob were tireless workers for their Legislative Districts, were members of Nucleus Club, and served on the Board of Directors of the Tanque Verde Valley Democratic Club where they were designated Emeritus Board Members with gratitude for past service. They were awarded the 2017 Martin Bacal Lifetime Achievement Award by the Democrats of Greater Tucson.
We are inspired by a life well-lived.
Pat Wiedhopf Chair, Tanque Verde Valley Democratic Club
From Mike Dayton, Chair of the Democrats of Oro Valley
Tom Meconi began working with the Democrats of Oro Valley at the Northwest Democrats’ office during the 2016 election. He organized, instructed, and cheered on volunteers and then comforted them after Trump’s disastrous win. Tom became a DOV member soon afterwards. There were good fights to be had and Tom was ready to jump in. Later, he joined the DOV Leadership Council. His fresh ideas included: VOTE t-shirts, VOTE masks, letters of accountability to Sinema and others, postcards to Independents, and helping Get Out the Vote during the 2018 mid-term election. Tom led a voter registration drive via Field Team 6 and was instrumental in the successful Oro Valley petition drive of 2021. To quote his wife Jean, “Tom lived his life with passion and unwavering direction. He was a man of principles.” Tom brought heart to our club with his warmth and caring. Our eyes well with pride as we remember a life well lived but taken too soon.
