[fusion_builder_container type=”flex” hundred_percent=”no” hundred_percent_height=”no” min_height_medium=”” min_height_small=”” min_height=”” hundred_percent_height_scroll=”no” align_content=”stretch” flex_align_items=”flex-start” flex_justify_content=”flex-start” flex_column_spacing=”” hundred_percent_height_center_content=”yes” equal_height_columns=”no” container_tag=”div” menu_anchor=”” hide_on_mobile=”small-visibility,medium-visibility,large-visibility” status=”published” publish_date=”” class=”” id=”” spacing_medium=”” margin_top_medium=”” margin_bottom_medium=”” spacing_small=”” margin_top_small=”” margin_bottom_small=”” margin_top=”” margin_bottom=”” padding_dimensions_medium=”” padding_top_medium=”” padding_right_medium=”” padding_bottom_medium=”” padding_left_medium=”” padding_dimensions_small=”” padding_top_small=”” padding_right_small=”” padding_bottom_small=”” padding_left_small=”” padding_top=”” padding_right=”” padding_bottom=”” padding_left=”” link_color=”” link_hover_color=”” border_sizes=”” border_sizes_top=”” border_sizes_right=”” border_sizes_bottom=”” border_sizes_left=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” box_shadow=”no” box_shadow_vertical=”” box_shadow_horizontal=”” box_shadow_blur=”0″ box_shadow_spread=”0″ box_shadow_color=”” box_shadow_style=”” z_index=”” overflow=”” gradient_start_color=”” gradient_end_color=”” gradient_start_position=”0″ gradient_end_position=”100″ gradient_type=”linear” radial_direction=”center center” linear_angle=”180″ background_color=”” background_image=”” skip_lazy_load=”” background_position=”center center” background_repeat=”no-repeat” fade=”no” background_parallax=”none” enable_mobile=”no” parallax_speed=”0.3″ background_blend_mode=”none” video_mp4=”” video_webm=”” video_ogv=”” video_url=”” video_aspect_ratio=”16:9″ video_loop=”yes” video_mute=”yes” video_preview_image=”” render_logics=”” absolute=”off” absolute_devices=”small,medium,large” sticky=”off” sticky_devices=”small-visibility,medium-visibility,large-visibility” sticky_background_color=”” sticky_height=”” sticky_offset=”” sticky_transition_offset=”0″ scroll_offset=”0″ animation_type=”” animation_direction=”left” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_offset=”” filter_hue=”0″ filter_saturation=”100″ filter_brightness=”100″ filter_contrast=”100″ filter_invert=”0″ filter_sepia=”0″ filter_opacity=”100″ filter_blur=”0″ filter_hue_hover=”0″ filter_saturation_hover=”100″ filter_brightness_hover=”100″ filter_contrast_hover=”100″ filter_invert_hover=”0″ filter_sepia_hover=”0″ filter_opacity_hover=”100″ filter_blur_hover=”0″][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type=”1_1″ layout=”1_1″ align_self=”auto” content_layout=”column” align_content=”flex-start” valign_content=”flex-start” content_wrap=”wrap” spacing=”” center_content=”no” link=”” target=”_self” link_description=”” min_height=”” hide_on_mobile=”small-visibility,medium-visibility,large-visibility” sticky_display=”normal,sticky” class=”” id=”” type_medium=”” type_small=”” order_medium=”0″ order_small=”0″ dimension_spacing_medium=”” dimension_spacing_small=”” dimension_spacing=”” dimension_margin_medium=”” dimension_margin_small=”” margin_top=”” margin_bottom=”” padding_medium=”” padding_small=”” padding_top=”” padding_right=”” padding_bottom=”” padding_left=”” hover_type=”none” border_sizes=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” border_radius=”” box_shadow=”no” dimension_box_shadow=”” box_shadow_blur=”0″ box_shadow_spread=”0″ box_shadow_color=”” box_shadow_style=”” overflow=”” background_type=”single” gradient_start_color=”” gradient_end_color=”” gradient_start_position=”0″ gradient_end_position=”100″ gradient_type=”linear” radial_direction=”center center” linear_angle=”180″ background_color=”” background_image=”” background_image_id=”” background_position=”left top” background_repeat=”no-repeat” background_blend_mode=”none” render_logics=”” filter_type=”regular” filter_hue=”0″ filter_saturation=”100″ filter_brightness=”100″ filter_contrast=”100″ filter_invert=”0″ filter_sepia=”0″ filter_opacity=”100″ filter_blur=”0″ filter_hue_hover=”0″ filter_saturation_hover=”100″ filter_brightness_hover=”100″ filter_contrast_hover=”100″ filter_invert_hover=”0″ filter_sepia_hover=”0″ filter_opacity_hover=”100″ filter_blur_hover=”0″ animation_type=”” animation_direction=”left” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_offset=”” last=”true” border_position=”all” first=”true”][fusion_youtube id=”https://youtu.be/t9bmSem0Mrc” alignment=”center” width=”” height=”” autoplay=”false” api_params=”” title_attribute=”” video_facade=”” hide_on_mobile=”small-visibility,medium-visibility,large-visibility” class=”” css_id=”” /][fusion_text columns=”” column_min_width=”” column_spacing=”” rule_style=”default” rule_size=”” rule_color=”” hue=”” saturation=”” lightness=”” alpha=”” content_alignment_medium=”” content_alignment_small=”” content_alignment=”” hide_on_mobile=”small-visibility,medium-visibility,large-visibility” sticky_display=”normal,sticky” class=”” id=”” margin_top=”” margin_right=”” margin_bottom=”” margin_left=”” fusion_font_family_text_font=”” fusion_font_variant_text_font=”” font_size=”” line_height=”” letter_spacing=”” text_transform=”none” text_color=”” animation_type=”” animation_direction=”left” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_offset=””]
[00:00:00] Lawrence O’Donnell: Our next guest, like Kyrsten Sinema, is an activist in Arizona, democratic politics before being elected to office herself in September of 2019. Gabriella Cázares-Kelly discovered that the county recorder’s office in her county, Pima County, Arizona maintains voter registration records in 2020. Gabriella Cázares-Kelly ran for the office herself and won.
She recently told Ezra Klein in a New York Times article one thing I was really struck by when I first started getting involved in politics is how much power there is in just showing up to things. If you want to get involved, there’s always a way. And joining us now in her first appearance on this program is Pima county, Arizona recorder.
Gabriella Cázares-Kelly is the first Native American elected to a Pima County-wide seat. Thank you very much for joining us tonight. I know we have booked you in the past and had to delay it because of other breaking news situations. I’m glad to finally have you here. We discovered you in Ezra Kline’s reporting.
Where he was showing examples of people who are just taking charge of the politics that they saw around them in their own lives. Tell us about the decision you made about running for.
[00:01:22] Gabriella Cázares-Kelly: Thanks for having me. I didn’t ever expect to run for office. It was I really started this entire endeavor simply by registering voters at a local tribal community college, where I worked as an academic advisor and I started running into so many systemic issues that were keeping students from simply getting registered to vote.
And so, I started calling the Pima county recorder’s office. I started visiting their website and offering suggestions on ways to make it more accessible. And that was on deaf ears. And so, when I heard that the previous recorder was retiring, I thought I have to at least try.
[00:02:03] Lawrence O’Donnell: And what can you tell us and what, how things have changed since you’ve taken the.
[00:02:07] Gabriella Cázares-Kelly: One of the, one of the biggest things I’ve been able to do was reopen a Pascua Yaqui early voting site, which was an early voting site on a Pascua Yaqui reservation that the previous recorder had closed. I think it’s really important to know that this community struggles with internet infrastructure, with transportation infrastructure many homes don’t own a family vehicle.
And an early voting site in this location was really important. And. I was able to restore that. Currently, right now in the county, we’re looking at implementing vote centers where instead of people being assigned to only one location, they could go to any location anywhere throughout the county which would reduce the number of provisional ballots and help more people’s votes count.
[00:02:56] Lawrence O’Donnell: How would you characterize the tension in the democratic party in Arizona now? Over what’s happening with the Senator?
[00:03:05] Gabriella Cázares-Kelly: I don’t know that there’s a lot of tension. I think that would have been a nice description. A couple of years ago. There was a lot of conflict as to whether or not we should censor her or not.
And right now, I feel like every single Democrat is on board. With what just happened. It was an extreme failure on Kyrsten Sinema’s part and it really puts Arizona in particular in risk of losing some of our voting rights.
[00:03:33] Lawrence O’Donnell: How did it feel for you personally as someone who’s been working in Democratic?
[00:03:37] Gabriella Cázares-Kelly: I was very glad that the rest of the democratic party has stopped making excuses for this person. And is talking about actual consequences and thinking about people who are going to move the party as opposed to keeping them. From being able to make any progress. So, I was very pleased.
I’m very I think this is a minimum. I think this is the bare minimum, what we could be doing. And I want, want to I want to see more progressive action.
[/fusion_text][/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container]