Primary Prepping: LD21 House Dems
A challenger faces two well-known lawmakers … Long votes, long ballots … And grandma’s getting down.
Hey readers,
When we say “the election,” your mind probably goes to November, right?
While it’s true that you’ll elect a president, a U.S. senator, a few members of Congress and a handful of state lawmakers in the fall, the vast majority of the politicians representing you won’t be up for election in November — not really…
The vast majority of your politicians are elected in the July 30 primary.
And it’s right around the corner.
So for the next few weeks, we’re gonna spend some ink1 getting you up to speed on your local candidates and the other races to watch. Think of them as your first, bite-sized introduction to the races and candidates — primary election flashcards, if you will.
These little vignettes will be the jumping-off point for some handy voter guides we’re creating for when your primary ballot lands in your mailbox in July.
More on that to come.
But now, on to today’s primary race to watch…
LD21 House Democratic primary
Legislative District 21 stretches from the southern half of Tucson, including Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, down to the U.S.-Mexico border, from Sasabe through Nogales, Naco and Bisbee.
Democrats outnumber Republicans two-to-one, so while one Republican is running for the district’s two House seats in November, he’s a longshot.
Instead, the real race is between Briana "Breezy” Ortega and the district’s two incumbents, Democratic Reps. Stephanie Stahl Hamilton and Consuelo Hernandez.
Ortega argued during the Clean Elections debate that the district needs “more effective leadership at the Legislature.”
Democratic Sen. Rosanna Gabaldón faces no challenger in the primary or general election.
But toppling incumbents is tough — they have legislative histories to campaign on. One of Stahl Hamilton’s bills was the vehicle for the abortion ban overturn. And Hernandez is part of the esteemed group of siblings with an established legacy in Tucson and the state Legislature.
Democratic Rep. Consuelo Hernandez
Hernandez is seeking her second term representing LD21. She’s also a Sunnyside Unified School District Governing Board member.
Career experience: Hernandez currently works as a district manager at ADP, a human resources company. She was also an immigration caseworker with the International Rescue Committee and a campaign organizer with MoveOn.org, per her LinkedIn.
Fun fact: She’s part of the prominent Hernandez family of Tucson — her sister Alma Hernandez is seeking her second term representing LD20 in the House, and her brother, Daniel Hernandez Jr., represented the old LD2 for six years, arriving on the political scene after saving former U.S. Rep. Gabby Giffords’ life during the January 8, 2011 shooting.
Campaign website: www.consueloforarizona.com
Democratic challenger Briana "Breezy” Ortega
Newcomer Ortega owns a business and employment law firm and previously clerked for the U.S. Attorney’s Office in law school.
Plus: She represented the family of former Arizona Governor Raúl Castro in a lawsuit against the University of Arizona that resulted in a six-figure settlement after the university abandoned plans to turn the governor’s old home into a center for border studies.
Fun fact: Ortega has a Great Dane named Mozzarella, or Ella, for short.
Campaign website: www.ortegaforarizona.com
Democratic Rep. Stephanie Stahl Hamilton
Stahl Hamilton was elected to the former LD10 in 2020, then was briefly appointed to finish out the rest of former Sen. Kirsten Engel’s term in 2021. She won reelection to her current position in 2022.
What else does she do?: Stahl Hamilton is an ordained minister and used to work as a clothing consultant.
Fun fact: Stahl Hamilton was censured by House Republicans for hiding Bibles in the House members’ lounge, which she described as an act of protest supporting the separation of church and state.
Campaign website: www.stahlhamiltonforaz.com
The state House has two big votes planned today as representatives return to the Capitol for the first time in almost three weeks.
First up, HCR2060, the most controversial border bill that has gained traction in Arizona since SB1070.
The measure would ask voters to allow local police to arrest people on immigration charges. The bill would also make it harder for undocumented people to get jobs or public benefits, beef up penalties for selling fentanyl and institute a grab-bag of other tough-on-the-border policies.
The bill is modeled after Texas’ constitutionally questionable Senate Bill 4, which is working its way through the courts. Opponents are expected to turn out in full force for tomorrow’s vote in the House.
Lawmakers have also been working on a big omnibus water bill, HB2201, which is packed with a multitude of disparate water provisions dealing with everything from land divisions to decorative grass on city property and wildcat subdivisions.
But the most controversial provision would allow housing developers to continue to rely on groundwater in Active Management Areas in the Valley and Pinal County by buying out farmland.
Because farming takes a lot more water per acre than housing, advocates hope the bill could be a game changer for Arizona’s water conservation efforts. Critics say nobody quite knows how the math works, and the idea could actually be a disaster that would exacerbate the problem.
Tony Davis, the Arizona Daily Star’s water reporter, has a good breakdown that’s worth a read. HB2201 is also scheduled for a vote in the House today.
Double the trouble: Arizona’s election officials are preparing for a two-page ballot as state lawmakers continue to take up ballot space with voter referrals to bypass Gov. Katie Hobbs’ veto, Votebeat’s Jen Fifield reports. Election administrators not only have to ensure they have enough paper and tabulators, but also have to anticipate potential problems like paper jams and missing ballot pages. Yavapai County Elections Director Laurin Custis is still hoping for a one-page ballot, saying she will “throw a small party if we don’t have a two-card ballot.”
Wildlife vs. Wheels: Environmental groups are suing over a potential route that would take Interstate 11 — which is planned to be part of a new link through Arizona between Mexico and Canada — through Avra Valley, but ADOT and the Federal Highway Administration say there’s not a set decision yet, and are trying to get the lawsuit tossed. Hobbs won’t step in to ask her transportation department director to move the route, she tells Capitol scribe Howie Fischer. Meanwhile, the Department of Public Safety has stopped patrolling Arizona’s highways except in Maricopa and Pima counties from dusk to dawn due to staffing shortages, the Arizona State Troopers Association tells Republic columnist Laurie Roberts. Back in Gov. Doug Ducey’s day, people were outraged to learn that some highways weren’t patrolled from 2 — 6 a.m.
AirbnBroke: Axios Phoenix found nearly 30 metro Phoenix apartment complexes that are allowing tenants to rent out their units as Airbnbs, and the hosts are raking in about $3,600 a year, Jessica Boehm and Sami Sparber write. Meanwhile, cities and towns are bracing for funding cliffs after a ban on collecting rental taxes on residential rental properties goes into effect in January next year, per KJZZ’s Ignacio Ventura. Tempe could lose an estimated $20 to $25 million, while Phoenix City Council has been advised to avoid adding services to save costs.
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Separation of powers: President Joe Biden’s lawyers said Arizona’s lawmakers don’t have standing to invalidate his designation of a million acres of federal land near the Grand Canyon as a national monument after Republicans in the legislature called the move a “land grab,” Fischer writes. Only Congress can undo the presidential declaration, the attorneys said.
Footloose: The Gila River Indian Community issued a temporary ban on dances after tribal police officer Joshua Briese was shot while responding to a disturbance at a home in Santan, per the Associated Press. Another officer was struck by a bullet and four others were wounded at the party, according to police.
Thanks to all of you who submitted events for our new Arizona Political Calendar!
Keep them coming! You can share your political events with our 11,000 readers by filling in this form.2
A few of you had trouble accessing the Google link yesterday — we’ve also got a public link that doesn’t require a Google account.
But if you want a more visually appealing look on the Google Calendars platform, you can access it by clicking this link and selecting “add.” You have to be logged into your Google account, and you can check and uncheck the calendar on the left sidebar to make the events show up or disappear.
99-year-old Mesa resident Dorothy Hannisian still has moves.
The East Valley Tribune brings us this heartwarming story of (presumably) Mesa’s oldest belly dancer, who showed off her gyration skills and “infectious energy” at her retirement community’s recent talent show.
And that link provides us with the excuse we’ve been waiting for to tell you about how Hank’s grandma celebrated her recent 97th birthday: As the star guest in the male traveling strip show “Thunder Down Under.” We actually have a video of Grandma Pat living her best life surrounded by good-looking dudes on stage, but we promised not to share it.
Pixels?
You can also email us the event details at Info@arizonaagenda.com with the subject line “EVENTS.” As long as it has all the required info and is about Arizona or local politics, we’ll post it.
Terrific piece on the LD1 Democratic Primary. Love adding the map.
Very grateful for the legislative primary coverage-- thank you!