Over the weekend, team Biden-Harris launched the Arizona Seniors for Biden-Harris with events and games of “Biden Bingo” and pickleball in both Tucson and Phoenix in order to bring awareness to seniors and inform them of the dangers of a second Trump term to retirees.
Donald Trump recently said he’d cut Social Security and Medicare, and Trump along with the MAGA GOP faithful have floated cutting retirement benefits, would repeal President Biden’s caps on the price of prescription drugs, and wants to terminate the ACA (Affordable Care Act) which would cause costs to skyrocket for seniors across Arizona and leave countless individuals without the ability to have health insurance.
In an effort to bring seniors from across the state together, the Biden for Arizona campaign launched voter outreach through “Biden Bingo” and other events such as pickleball tournaments.
Arizona is a vital voting bloc for deciding who takes Arizona in November and Arizona also holds one of the largest retirement communities in the nation.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau in 2020 Arizona had a population of approximately 7.5 million people, with over 16% of the population being over the age of 65, making it one of the top states with a large retirement population.
One Arizona senior told Northeast Valley News, “I know that Donald Trump and the Republicans have their sights set on cutting my Social Security benefits and I also think about my kids and grandkids and what they will have by the time they want to see their benefits—under Trump, it will be nothing.”
“Senior care is already in crisis, homeless seniors including veterans are living on the unbearably hot streets across the Valley and because many of them rely solely on their Social Security benefits to even survive at all, without family care and support these people cannot afford even the most modest apartment. Imagine what things will be like under Donald Trump,” said Darrel Star a retired mechanic from the Union Hills community.
Seniors gathered in Tucson’s Democratic campaign field office on North Campbell Avenue and East Glenn Street for an afternoon game of Bingo. The event was part of the campaign’s strategy to secure the senior voting block in key states ahead of the 2024 election.
First lady Jill Biden stopped by a pickleball event on Saturday as part of her husband’s efforts to reach senior voters in four swing states, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Nevada and Arizona.
The campaign outreach events will continue and the Biden campaign will visit seniors at various events throughout the Valley including rallies and are collecting volunteers for phone banks.
Former Congressman Ron Barber along with 27 elected and community leaders from across the Copper State announced their endorsement of Joe Biden for the President of the United States.
Barber served in the United States House of Representatives from 2012 to 2015. Prior to that he served as then Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords’ District Director. For more than three decades he worked in the Arizona Division of Developmental Disabilities.
“I saw up close and personal Joe’s immense compassion, empathy and unwavering desire to solve problems facing American families across the country. On day one he’ll be able to get to work and get our country back on track. I’m proud to endorse him.”
Barber said at the event, that the predominant issues motivating seniors in this election season were personal freedoms and rights, healthcare access as well as Social Security and Medicare benefits. Barber went on to highlight President Biden’s work to reduce prescription drug prices and efforts to preserve social security and Medicare benefits for seniors.
