Coconino Dems continue to roll out greatly successful events. “Hear Us Roar” was co-sponsored by the NAU Young Dems, Together We Will-Northern Arizona, American Association of University Women-Flagstaff Branch, and Arizona List. About 70 people packed the Weatherford Hotel to listen to eight of our Democratic Women Candidates on April 13. And, were those candidates on fire!
“November 8, 2016, hit like a ton of bricks,” said Felicia French, who is running to represent Legislative District 6 in the state House of Representatives. She couldn’t sit by and do nothing. After 32 years in the military, French came out of retirement last August to run.
The first panels of candidates were moderated by officers of the NAU Young Democrats. Then, our Eleanor Roosevelt Award winner, Lori Polini-Staudinger, took over to moderate the full candidate list for the final set of questions.
“People know they want something different now and that means new faces and new voices and for some people that means a mom, a woman, someone who has shared their experience who cares about the future of our kids in a maternal way. I definitely get that comment a lot,” Attorney General Candidate January Contreras said. Contreras worked with Janet Napolitano throughout Napolitano’s career in Arizona and D.C. and now runs a non-profit which she started when Napolitano left the Department of Homeland Security.
Kelly Fryer, a candidate for Governor, said “All of the conventional wisdom about who should run and how to get elected, that playbook has been smashed to smithereens [by Trump’s 2016 win]” Fryer was inspired to run by the 2017 Tucson Women’s March.
Katie Hobbs, a candidate for Secretary of State, said more women running for office and serving in government will bring a more collaborative approach to governing and protect against sexual harassment. Kathy Hoffman, a candidate for Superintendent of Public Instruction, said she’s made it a priority to inspire and mentor other women who should run for office.
Other panelists included Valerie Wyant, incumbent candidate for County Clerk of Court, who talked about her long experience in Navajo and Coconino County Superior Courts.
The event was the top story in Sunday’s Arizona Daily Sun.
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