by David Gordon
Union organizer Yolanda Bejarano, the Vice President of the Arizona Democratic Party, is running to be party Chair.
She is endorsed for State Party Chair by US Senator Mark Kelly, incoming Secretary of State Adrian Fontes, incoming Attorney General Kris Mayes and many other Democratic elected officials. Democratic state committee members will vote for a new chair on Jan. 28, replacing state Sen. Raquel Terán.
Former Yuma area resident and current union organizer and leader with the Communication Workers of America (CWA,) Vice Chair Bejarano has had years of experience organizing for Democratic candidates in Arizona and across the country.
If elected, she will work to continue the trend of shifting Arizona to a bluer state, focusing on recruiting candidates for all offices, including all seats in the Arizona State Legislature.
In a December 13 social media post celebrating the wide array of support for her candidacy, Ms. Bejarano stated:
“I’m humbled by all the support I’ve received in my campaign to be the next Chair of the @AZDemParty. I’m running because I believe we can build an even stronger party capable of delivering wins for Democrats across Arizona — both up and down the ballot. I hope you’ll join me.”
“In 2022, we saw historic wins due to early investments and Democrats working together to ensure Arizonans knew what we stood for and got out to vote. But we also know there’s more to do. In 2024, we must win back the State House and State Senate and elect more Democrats to Congress, in addition to securing our U.S. Senate seat and Arizona’s 11 presidential electoral votes.”
Ms. Bejarano responded to questions about her candidacy to become the next chairperson of the Arizona Democratic Party.
- Please tell the readers at least two qualifications you have to become the next chairperson of the Arizona Democratic Party.
“So, one of the most important qualifications is that I’m an organizer, and that’s how I spent my career. Currently, I’m the field director for the Communications Workers of America Union. Through this position, I’ve worked to organize across the state on behalf of my union and in support of democratic candidates.
But beyond my career, it’s really who I am. A couple of weeks ago, I was in Georgia leading a team of door-knockers supporting Senator Warnock’s runoff election. I did that because I wanted to help, and I knew that each conversation I had could have been the one to make a difference at the doors.
I’m also currently Vice Chair of the Arizona Democratic Party, and what that means is I’ve had the privilege of working to elect Democrats through Arizona for the past few years and working closely with the current chair, Raquel Terán. Being a part of that organization means that I understand how it works, and I saw directly how much the party can make an impact.
There’s a lot more work that we need to do next year in 2023 and in 2024. Having the knowledge and having the experience of being Vice-Chair on how to get things done would make me a very effective chair.”
- Please tell the readers at least two reasons you would like to become the next chairperson of the Arizona Democratic Party.
“We had a really successful 2022 election, but there’s a lot of work that needs to be done to support down-ballot races. As chair, I’d like to bring an increased focus to those races because they can make such a difference.
The second reason is that there will be so much at stake in 2024. Not only do we have to re-elect democrats at the top of the ticket, but we have to hold Republicans accountable to stop their dangerous agenda, and we’ve seen what happens when they’re in charge. Immigrants are vilified. Abortion is all but banned. Our public education system is hollowed out, and our economy focuses only on corporations and not families who actually need help. So, I want to play my part in doing what I can to hold Republicans accountable.”
- If you were to become the next chairperson, what would be your three most important priorities for preparing the party for the 2024 election cycle?
“As I said, I’m an organizer at heart, and whatever work we do needs to be grounded in this grassroots mobilization that we’ve seen time and time again, be so effective. But it is too often disregarded, and one of the top priorities for me has to be winning the State House and State Senate. And to do that, we need to work to find and support candidates across the state so that Arizonans see how much they stand to gain with Democrats in office, as well as raise the money they need to get their message out. Working with these local candidates is exactly what I’ve done over the past few years at CWA.
We also need to hold our seats at our federal level, especially with Donald Trump already announcing that he’s running for president. The path to holding the White House runs right through Arizona. I also want to work closely with county and local Democratic Parties. These people do so much important work, like getting folks involved one conversation at a time, and they make a real impact. I want to work closely with them.”
Are there any different or similar strategies you would take compared to the previous two chairpersons in preparing for the next electoral cycle?
“Over the past couple of weeks, it’s been clear that all Democrats are unified and focused on our goals for 2024. We need to win in 2024, but I think I’m most qualified for a few reasons. First, my organizing background, which is exactly what we need more of as we build support for candidates up and down the ticket. The second is I understand what’s needed to do the job effectively, and I’m willing to put in the work, and I’m willing to put in the time to get it. I’m also really proud of the fact that I’m an Arizonan, but I’m not from Phoenix. I’m from a tiny town called Roll, outside of Yuma, and so growing up in a place that’s far from the center of politics really helped me gain a perspective on the fact that we need to organize and compete everywhere.”
- Is there anything you would like to add?
“Since I announced my candidacy, it’s been so exciting to talk to so many Democrats about our shared vision for the future of the Arizona Democratic Party and our shared values. I’m especially proud to have earned the endorsements of so many people already, including Senator Kelly, Secretary of State-Elect Fontes, Attorney General-Elect Mayes, Representatives Gallego, Stanton, Kirkpatrick, and other leaders from across the state. This is a team of leaders who have raised tens of millions of dollars, and when I’m the chair, we’re going to work together to build a strong fundraising operation so we can win up and down the ballot.”