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More than 50 volunteers and precinct committee people (PCs) crowded the Woods Library to take part in LD9’s 2019/2020 Kickoff event. LD9 produced the #1 bluest district in the state with 82% of all Democrats voting, and speakers at the rally announced plans to improve on this success.
“We turned Arizona purple,” said Marlene Bluestein, an LD9 vice chair, as she sketched out a 20-month plan to turn Southern Arizona blue. She cited gains including electing Ann Kirkpatrick to the US Senate, Kyrsten Sinema to the US Senate, Katie Hobbs to Secretary of State and Kathy Hoffman to Superintendent of Public Instruction.
Democratic Team Leader Lori Cinnamond said the party targeted Democrats in 57 precincts who hadn’t voted in the previous mid-term, and targeted newly registered Democrats. “We turned postcard writers into canvassers, turned neighbors into voters, and turned voters into PCs,” she said. “We had a great team, a data-driven plan, we distributed hundreds of brochures at polling places, and contacted 9,500 Democrats in LD9 with a postcard, phone call or brochure.”
Patti Hartman of Precinct 99 described the election packets given to attendees. It included scripts for canvassing and letters, palm cards to hand out, an LD9 map, the AZ Blue 2020 PC Survival Guide, a directory of elected officials, and forms to register to vote, to become a precinct committee person and to join the permanent early voting list.
Marlene Verdery from Precinct 56, demonstrated a slick method to access the Democratic name database, the “VAN,” by using a cell phone. This approach eliminates the need for extensive manual data inputting.
Proponents of several ballot initiatives described their efforts:
- Lisa Wolf said that the new Outlaw Dirty Money campaign will need more than 360,000 signatures to get on the statewide ballot. The measure will create a citizen’s right to know about large donors — like the infamous Koch Brothers — who are behind candidates and advertising. “We’re not seeking to prevent the donations or ads, we just want to make the sponsors identify themselves. This affects education, healthcare, the justice system, the environment and assisting the less fortunate,” she said.
- Billy Peard, an ACLU attorney who wrote the Sanctuary Initiative for Tucson, said the immigrant-friendly measure envisions “a Tucson that serves as a safe refuge for all people regardless of their immigration status, race, color, age, gender identity, ethnicity, ability to speak English, religion, sexual orientation, or economic status.” It would separate immigration checking from the duties of police officers. “If it passes the nation will be watching because Arizona was widely ridiculed as racist nativist and anti-immigrant state,” he said.
- Penelope Jacks, a child advocate called for support of the Pima County Preschool Investment Proposal (PCPIP). Funded by the property tax, it would provide scholarships to low-income children to attend high-quality preschool. Tucson has 27,000 3- and 4-year olds in poverty and 70% of them are children of color. She called on attendees to go to the May 14, 9 am Board of Supervisor’s budget meeting at 130 W. Congress. Only Democrat Richard Elias is supporting a budget for PCPIP; Democrats Ramon Valadez and Sharon Bronson have not declared their support.
Nancy Koff of Precinct 88 said she and the new PC recruitment and Hospitality committee wil identiy new PCs for precints with none or not enough PCs.
In closing, all attendees were invited to an LD9 happy hour on Monday, April 15 from 4 to 7 pm at Reforma Modern Mexican at 4340 N Campbell Ave Ste. 101, Tucson, AZ 85718.
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