RELEASE: Democratic Legislative Candidates Break Records, Reporting Strong Fundraising Numbers in Second Quarter
ARIZONA - As Arizona approaches its Primary Election Day, Democratic candidates running in key legislative districts report strong fundraising numbers in Q2. Democrats in the state are only two seats away in each chamber from securing a Democratic legislative majority. In multiple districts, Democratic candidates are building larger warchests than their predecessors in previous elections.
By the numbers:
In LD 17, House candidate Kevin Volk and Senate candidate John McLean reported strong fundraising numbers for the second quarter in a row, with each bringing in over $100,000. This time last election, Democratic candidates raised $37,000 and went on to contest the district within 1% of votes. The bids to unseat incumbent state legislators Cory McGarr, Rachel Jones, and Justine Wadsack are shaping up to be the most competitive in the state.
Volk and McLean are Tucson businessmen who hope to represent in the LD17. Exhausted with the poor performance and out-of-touch priorities of the district’s incumbents, they’re running for office to bring the focus of the state legislature back to real issues like K-12 education and affordability.
LD4 House candidates Kelli Butler and Karen Gresham surpassed the previous second quarter fundraising record for a candidate for the Arizona State House of Representatives, as reported in publicly available online sources dating back to 2002. Butler raised more than $155,000 and Gresham raised more than $145,000. Butler spent six years in the Arizona State House before being elected to the Maricopa County Community College District board in 2022. Gresham is the President of the Madison Elementary School District governing board.
LD2 Senate candidate Judy Schwiebert raised over $166,000 during the second quarter and has over $300,000 cash on hand. Representative Schwiebert has spent the last four years in the Arizona State House fighting for public education, reproductive healthcare, and affordable housing. She is now a candidate for the Arizona State Senate in one of the most competitive districts in the state.