FLIPPABLE: Ralph Atchue for AZ-SD11

n the last three years of meeting voters in every corner of Arizona's Legislative District 11, I've been asked this question many times: "How does a retired Postmaster from Chicago end up running for the Arizona State Senate?"

As is true in everyone's life, mine has taken "many a winding turn" but as I look back, serving my community in government seems almost to have been inevitable. My 33 years with the U.S Postal Service was split between representing both sides in labor negotiations - 12 years as a local president of the National Association of Letter Carriers and 21 years representing USPS Management. I believe, more than at any time in history, our government needs to consider and represent both sides of issues.
Growing up in what would be generously called a low income inner city Chicago neighborhood, I developed an understanding of people who were struggling to make ends meet. I was fortunate to be able to use my G.I. benefits, thanks to serving honorably in the Air Force, for my college education and my first mortgage. Today's working and low income families are not so lucky.

My concern for those less fortunate, led me to begin volunteering with several organizations. I began working with struggling and troubled individuals. I worked closely with many who dealt with issues ranging from substance abuse to financial and marital problems. I came to realize that when given an opportunity and direction, most people will find their way.

Since my wife and I made our home in Arizona in 2006, we've seen the GOP dominated state government do severe damage to the chances of low income and working families to achieve prosperity. Republicans in the state legislature have taken a sledge hammer to Public Education. They've destroyed any semblance of fair taxes and voters' ability to participate in the democratic process.

I've worked in Arizona as a Democratic campaign volunteer in every election since 2006. I joined a few dedicated folks in rebuilding the party organizations in both Casa Grande and Maricopa. I am an elected Precinct Committee Person, serving on the Arizona State Committee. I serve as the Secretary/Treasurer of the Pinal County Party and as the 1st Vice Chair of Legislative District 11's Committee.

I've met literally thousands of people at their homes since 2015. Hearing from families across LD11- spanning Maricopa City, Casa Grande, Arizona City and all the way to Oro Valley, Marana and SaddleBrooke. So many feel they are being left out of opportunities for a better life. Crystal, a young woman from Arizona City, cried as she told me she wouldn't be able to reach her life long dream of a college education - "I just can't afford it". I could see the fear on Sal and Barbara's faces when they talked about, "What kind of future will our grandchildren have in Arizona - good jobs are gone?"

As a lifetime bicycling and camping enthusiast, I'm also extremely concerned about the direction the GOP is taking regarding our Public Lands. Republicans seem committed to policies that will devalue and privatize Arizona's natural treasures. Hunters, fisherman and hikers might soon be kept out by "Private Property" signs in the name of profit.

My life has been all about bringing people and ideas together to solve problems. I am convinced that the problems we see today in Arizona are truly solvable. I'm running for the State Senate in Arizona's Legislative District 11 because I have the experience and commitment to listening to our citizens and helping them achieve prosperity.




http://atchue4azsenate.com

FLIPPABLE: Aaron Lieberman for AZ-HD28

My wife Jamie and I moved back to Arizona three years ago with our two sons. After teaching high school history for 20 years, Jamie decided to stay home when we moved here in order to help get the boys settled. Our sons both attend public schools and are thriving. My daughter attends college on the East Coast, but comes to visit whenever I can convince her to put down her books for a bit (which is not as often as I would like).

After attending high school at Brophy, I moved out of Arizona for college and for the early part of my career, but I have always carried with me a lesson that I learned in my third-grade classroom at Madison Heights: everyone should have an equal opportunity to reach their full potential.

After graduating from Yale in 1994, I taught low-income preschoolers in a Head Start classroom while founding Jumpstart, a national not-for-profit whose vision is to ensure that every child in America enters kindergarten prepared to succeed. In 2001, I started Acelero Learning, a company that helps local communities run high-quality Head Start programs.

Over the last 24 years, Jumpstart has engaged over 50,000 college students and community volunteers. The success of the Acelero Learning model relies upon the help and active partnership of the 30,000 families we serve every day.

But I am most proud of the results produced by both organizations. Children who are paired with a Jumpstart tutor make gains in critical literacy skills at 1.5x the national average and children enrolled in Acelero Learning Head Start programs make almost three times the gains as children in the average Head Start program.

When my family and I moved back to Arizona, I was struck by how the state I love had changed from one of inclusion, opportunity and optimism to one of exclusion and fear, largely due to a group of far-right Republicans who have commandeered our legislature.

To help be a part of the solution, I got involved with LD 28 and have been proud to serve as a Precinct Committee Person and active canvasser for Kelli Butler and Christine Marsh for the last year. I am now thrilled to be working closely with those two women, and all of LD 28, to help get our state back on track.




https://aaron4az.com

FLIPPABLE: Chris Gilfillan for AZ-HD20

Hi! My name is Chris Gilfillan, and I am excited to be running for the State House of Representatives in Legislative District 20.

I got into politics because I saw first-hand how education was being devalued. I come from a family of public school teachers. I am a graduate of a K-12 public school and a public university, I have volunteered for candidates that support education, and I have gotten out the vote for district overrides. For me, this campaign is about restoring funding to our schools and making public education a priority, for families, for businesses and for Arizona.

I went to law school with a vision for public service. So, after graduation, I advocated for students across in Arizona and North Carolina, ensuring that they had access to funding and to information on voting like registration and message points.

I am a law school-educated advocate that considers students as the priority in Arizona and especially in LD 20. I want to restore the $4 billion in cuts to public education in K-12 and higher education that have been made since the Recession. After placing nearly last in per pupil spending, the Legislature needs to step up to the plate for school districts and stop forcing the school districts to pass overrides locally. I have turned out the vote for overrides from South Phoenix to Glendale, but that's just a Band-Aid. Now we need to look to the Legislature for leadership. That's where I want to advocate for my community.

I also work with small businesses and policymakers currently. I want to make sure Arizona's entrepreneurs and small businesses can grow, and fill the empty storefronts from Dunlap to Union Hills.

I am a graduate of Mississippi College of Law where I was Senator of the Year for the MC Law Bar Association and clerked for a small town oil and gas attorney, where we fought for small families who had oil and gas royalty rights interests in hydraulic fracturing fields that were being ignored by big oil.

I also earned my journalism degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, with a minor in Spanish.

I served on the boards of directors for my local Rotary Club and Eastern Catawba Cooperative Christian Ministries. I was also a member of the Charles Clark Inn of Court for lawyers and judges. And am a member of St. Jerome's Catholic Parish. This past year, I served as Field Director for Legislative District 20.

Our campaign has been endorsed by many progressive organizations, including the Southwest Regional Council of Carpenters, the Arizona Tech Council, the Sierra Club, and education advocacy group Stand for Children. We also have the honor of being endorsed by former House minority leader Eric Meyer and former State Senator Stan Furman.




https://www.chrisforaz.com

FLIPPABLE: Jennifer Jemaine for AZ-HD18

Hi, I’m Jennifer Jermaine and Legislative District 18 has been my family’s home for seven years. My husband is a Civil Engineer and we have an amazing little girl. My mom was a trailblazing physicist. I’ve spent years in the nonprofit sector and helping people start and succeed in small businesses. I am the co-founder of Stronger Together Arizona and the We the People Summit, both of which empower individuals to strategize and collaborate to influence public policy. I have a Master’s in Public Administration from ASU and I decided early on that my calling is to work for positive change in the public sector.

My focus is on restoring education funding, protecting our civil rights, and honoring our shared values. I pledge to listen and respond to your concerns, and work across the aisle to achieve meaningful progress on issues that matter in our daily lives.

All Arizonans deserve to have the same opportunities to succeed that were available to me. I decided to run because our state should be a place of safety, opportunity, and prosperity for all.




http://www.jermaine4house.com

FLIPPABLE: Hollace Lyon for AZ-HD11

- Retired Air Force Colonel - 26 years of service
- Commanded twice and served at NATO
- Set budget and strategic goals for the Air Force
- Taught 7th grade math before joining the Air Force
- Experience with border security issues
- 10-year AZ resident - moved here to care for Mom who has lived in southern AZ over 40 years​



https://www.lyonforaz.com

FLIPPABLE: Bobby Tyler for AZ-HD06

I am Bobby Tyler, the current Mayor of Holbrook, and a third-generation Arizonan from McNary, Arizona. I am running to be representative for Legislative District 6 to create a prosperous future for generations to come. After years of the status quo, I am committed to fighting for rural and Northern Arizona at the legislature in Phoenix. Economic development is how we are going to bring good paying jobs, and a world-class public education system to northern Arizona!

I am a third generation Arizonan, and a product of the northern Arizona public school system. My family moved from Louisiana to McNary, Arizona to work in the lumber industry for better opportunities and higher wages, something I want to bring back to northern Arizona.

I have lived a life of public service. Right out of high school I went to work for the city of Holbrook as a truck driver. I went on to work in the maintenance department first as a maintenance helper and then in operations as a fuel handler. A few years later I was awarded a Machinist apprenticeship, another funding I want to save. I volunteered as a firefighter and a citizens police officer for a combined thirteen years with the city of Holbrook. I then spent over 33 years working in the power industry where I learned and worked many positions and assignments, including safety officer ensuring those around me were working in a safe environment. I trained firefighters in the safety of fire behavior and power plant mechanics in fundamentals of the trade. I have been a member of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers 387 Union steward as well as 1607 Millright carpenters union. Since then, I have been on Holbrook City Council since 2011 and as Mayor of Holbrook since 2015.

I am running to be the voice that the State leaders have forgotten. A voice for the struggling young families trying to make ends meets The people struggling to find a job with benefits and a fair wage. This is how a strong economy is made and maintained.




https://tyler4ruralaz.nationbuilder.com

FLIPPABLE: Jennifer Pawlik for AZ-HD17

Jennifer Pawlik is the Democratic candidate for the House of Representatives in Legislative District 17 (Chandler, Sun Lakes and Gilbert). Jennifer is a native Arizonan and the eldest of three daughters born to Bob Banning and Jo Beckelman. She attended Arizona schools from kindergarten through college and graduated near the top of her class at Dobson High School in 1990. She graduated from Northern Arizona University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Elementary Education in 1996. In 2010, Jennifer completed a graduate program through a collaborative cohort between Northern Arizona University and Chandler Unified School District. She earned a Master’s degree in Curriculum and Instruction.

Jennifer is certified to teach general education students in kindergarten through grade eight, but she also enjoys working with adults. She has taught for seventeen years, the last nine of which have been in the Chandler Unified School District. Jennifer currently serves as an Executive Trainer for Spalding Education International, training both public and charter school teachers throughout the state. She also has taught a graduate-level course for pre-service teachers at Northern Arizona University, East Valley Campus.

In addition to the work Jennifer does in the classroom, she is a passionate advocate for education in her community. In 2017, she served as Co-Chair of the successful Yes for Chandler Students! override committee. In the fall of 2015, she served as a speaker for Chandler Unified School District’s successful Back the Bond initiative and organized a neighborhood canvass to speak to voters about the importance of properly funding schools. As a member of the Chandler Education Association’s Super Q team, Jennifer represented elementary school teachers in the bargaining process for contracts and benefits. Jennifer served on the Parent Advisory Board at her children’s school for two years.

In addition to education, Jennifer has been an active leader in her community. She served as Secretary of the Legislative District 17 Democrats, she is a Precinct Committeeman in the Germann precinct, and she is an elected State Committee member. After becoming involved in local campaigns in 2014, Jennifer was encouraged to apply to Emerge Arizona, a six-month program that trains Democratic women to hold public office. She was a 2015 graduate of the program. Jennifer participated in the Leading for Change program in the spring of 2016. During the spring of 2018, Jennifer was honored to be named as a Flinn-Brown Fellow.

When not engaged in education and community activities, Jennifer enjoys spending time with her husband of twenty-two years, Jason Pawlik, and her college-aged twin daughters. The family has lived in Chandler for ten years.




https://jenniferpawlik.nationbuilder.com

Andrew Gillum releases behind-the-scenes footage of election night (VIDEO)

Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee field staff, volunteers knock on 3 million doors

WI-SEN: GOP Candidate Holds Event for 'Above Average People'

An invite that appeared to have been sent from the campaign of Wisconsin state Sen. Leah Vukmir (R), who's running against incumbent U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D), promoted a fundraising event for "above average people."

For $500, attendees are invited to "relax amongst other above average people while enjoying hors d'oeuvres and refreshments" on Sept. 5.

It was not immediately clear what was meant by "above average people" in the flyer. Vukmir's campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the invitation.

The flyer noted that those donating $2,700 per couple would be invited to a "slow cruise around Upper Nemahbin Lake with Leah," while those donating $5,400 per couple would also get a "uniquely patriotic photo opportunity, with God willing, our next U.S. Senator, Leah."

The flyer also said it had been "Paid for by Leah for Senate", while linking to her campaign page.

http://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/404468-wisconsin-senate-candidate-advertises-fundraiser-with-above-average-people


TAMMY BALDWIN



https://www.tammybaldwin.com/