The goal of Democrats from Arizona’s fourth legislative district (LD4 Dems) is clear: flip the Senate.
With ballots going out in 16 days, the “fighting fourth” has garnered the support of many teachers in North Phoenix, Arcadia, Central Scottsdale, Paradise Valley and the Biltmore area.
This weekend was the Arizona Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee’s (ADLCC) “Education Weekend of Action”. On Saturday morning, volunteers gathered in North Phoenix for a canvas launch rally. In attendance were Karen Gresham, Kelli Butler, incumbent Senator Christine Marsh, representatives from the Arizona Education Association (the largest teacher’s union in the state) and recipients of the Arizona Teacher of the Year.
Going door-to-door has been an effective strategy for the ADLCC.
Passionate volunteers and interns feel that making connections with their community is the best way to garner support. “It’s a group effort,” said Josh Meibos, a professor at NAU and 2018 Teacher of the Year. “It’s exciting to get out into a new neighborhood and meet people, see where they’re at, and share a little bit about Christine Marsh and her platform.”
Improving Arizona’s public education system is a top priority for the LD4 Democrats running for office. A report released earlier this week listed Arizona as 51st in the Nation for public education.
Kelli Butler discussed the importance of electing the first pro-public education legislation in 60 years with Northeast Valley News.
“Getting a tie or a majority in the State House would mean a complete change in the way that the legislature addresses education. We – Democrats – will make sure that we are doing everything we can to properly fund our schools and support our teachers. Right now, the Republicans are [voting for] bills that make it harder for districts to pay their teachers,” Butler said.
John-David Bowman won Teacher of the Year in 2015 and was present on Saturday to show his support for Senator Christine Marsh’s reelection campaign.
He referenced his time coaching baseball in an analogy for the upcoming election, saying “If I had a whole team of ‘Christines’, we’d win a state championship.”
