Primary Prepping: LD24 House Democrats

The classic incumbent vs. challengers saga … Stop walking your dog in the heat … And Leezah Sun will never change.

From left to right: Anna Abeytia, Rep. Lydia Hernandez, Hector Jaramillo

Two progressive newcomers are challenging a Democratic incumbent in the contest for two House seats.

Legislative District 24, which covers parts of Maryvale and South Glendale, is a Democratic stronghold with the highest percentage of Hispanic and Latino residents in any district.

Democratic Rep. Lydia Hernandez is running for reelection against two challengers: Anna Abeytia and Hector Jaramillo, who are running a joint campaign.

In the last election, Abeytia teamed up with Rep. Analise Ortiz as the district’s progressive slate and Jaramillo also ran in the five-way primary. 

But voters chose Ortiz, one of the Capitol’s most progressive voices, and Hernandez, who is among the most conservative Democrats in the House.

This time around, Abeytia is running with Jaramillo in hopes of ousting Hernandez, who has soured her relationship with many Democrats. Hernandez filed an ethics complaint this year alleging fellow members of the Latino caucus harassed, intimidated and falsely imprisoned her. The complaint was dismissed, but a history of right-leaning votes and an endorsement of former Republican Gov. Doug Ducey have put her political alignment into question.

The challenging duo has racked up endorsements from progressive groups and people like Reproductive Freedom for All, former state Senator and congressional candidate Raquel Terán, not to mention the district’s other incumbents, Democratic Sen. Anna Hernandez, who’s leaving the Capitol to run for Phoenix City Council, and Democratic Rep. Analise Ortiz, who is now vying for the district’s Senate seat.

Hernandez has picked up endorsements from the Arizona State Troopers Association and the Arizona Chamber of Commerce.

Legislative District 24

Anna Abeytia

Abeytia is president of the Cartwright Elementary School District Governing Board, serving alongside Hernandez. 

Career experience: Abeytia’s personal Facebook page says she’s a special education assistant at Glendale Elementary School and also lists stints as an events director at Maricopa County Young Democrats, a campaign manager at the anti-Trump Lincoln Strategy Group and a server at Sushi Style.

Fun fact: She used to run her own political consulting business, per her financial disclosure statement.

Campaign website: linktr.ee/abeytiaforaz

Rep. Lydia Hernandez

Hernandez is seeking her second consecutive term representing in the House. But she previously served one term in the House in 2012, and lost bids for the district’s Senate seat in 2014 and 2016.

Career experience: Hernandez is a longtime member of the Cartwright Elementary School District Governing Board. She also worked as a legal assistant with federal immigration counselors and as an executive manager with Arizona Habitat for Humanity, per her responses to Ballotpedia’s candidate survey.

Fun fact: She was previously the chief executive director for the governor’s Office of Indian Affairs under former Gov. Jane Dee Hull, according to her LinkedIn.

Campaign website: www.lydiaforaz.com/

Hector Jaramillo

Jaramillo is a member of the Glendale Elementary School District Governing Board. He ran for a House seat in LD24 in 2022 but lost in the primary. Jaramillo began a bid for Arizona’s Congressional District 3 seat last year but withdrew.

Career experience: Jaramillo is a therapist for children with autism, a Democratic state committee member and former Uber driver.

Fun fact: As the son of undocumented immigrants who lived through SB1070 and Joe Arpaio’s reign, Jaramillo said “I didn't want to get involved with politics, but politics got involved with me,” in a Ballotpedia survey.

Campaign website: www.hec4az.com

Former President Donald Trump was grazed by a bullet in an assassination attempt in Pennsylvania, in case you were in the wilderness or something all weekend. Two more people were injured and a firefighter was killed in the shooting. 

The New York Times has a map of the scene in Butler, Pennsylvania, that helps lend context to how it happened. And a piece about the chart Trump was turning toward when shots rang out, which may have saved his life.